Depoliticise Universities – Why and what for – The flip side?

A response to Dr. Tara de Mel’s comments in the Ex Files last week

By S.P.Upali S Wickramasinghe
Dr. Tara de Mel’s (TM) article under the caption ‘Depoliticise Universities’ was interesting. However, with great respect for all that she attempted to achieve during her tenure with the Ministry of Education, I should say that, the problems spotlighted are a reflection on the harum scarum system of public administration and governance this country has seen over the last three decades and nothing complex than that.

TM had dealt in detail on the problem of school admission. All the governments, Ministers of Education, shoved the problem under the carpet. The corruption involved is not confined to government run schools or only to leading Buddhist schools. The parents of a leading school in Kandy sought assistance of the Courts over a decade ago. Unfortunately, the application was rejected, and more unfortunately neither the Director of Education at Kandy nor the All Island Director, nor the Ministers of Education intervened. That is governance in the ministries and Departments of Education!! The administration has allowed corruption to be institutionalised.

The state had over fifty years to solve this problem. None of the politicians involved with Education made any attempt to find a viable solution. The cluster school system introduced by Ranil Wickremesinghe might provide the seed for a solution; by at least developing one school in every district to provide the required facilities.

I attended a wedding of a doctor, who had entered the University through Embilipitiya Maha Vidyalaya. All the siblings in that family had graduated, entering the University through the same school. All of them told me that they never attended any tuition classes. This search for Colombo based leading schools is a fallacy and an expensive myth.

The impression that I got over the tuition classes is very interesting and shocking. Believe it or not, I have got the impression that even problems involving Mathematics is being crammed. I would never have believed that until I was told that the system is so designed. Mathematical Robots – call the editor of the Guiness Book of Records fast!!!

Late Dr. A. Balasuriya, who was Head of Research at the Engineering Corporation, Dr. Wickramabahu Karunaratne of the Nava Lanka Samasamaja Party and myself, among many others, were guided by the same Mathematics teacher at Ananda College. They used to come up with distinction passes while I was at the tail end. Fortunately for me, I met Late Senator D.W.J.Perera, former Vice Principal at Sri Sumangala Vidyalaya. He coached me and turned me around with distinction passes (A grade, I believe) in Physics, Applied Mathematics and Pure Mathematics. (If in doubt ask – you can see the certificate). It is a question of presentation; one wonders whether a universal solution is possible?

She also deals with the problem of continuity of policies. This is the bane of our society and the economy. Each and every president, minister and then the secretary implements their pet schemes. With the change of the pivotal person / party those policies are dumped and new ones are adopted. TM had spotlighted one case, but I believe the worst case scenario was the accelerated Mahaweli Scheme. Millions nay billions were spent, but the country suffers from power cuts with every drought. Dr.Gavin Karunaratne former GA. Matara, in a series of articles to The Island, spotlighted how changes to well tested systems had led to the economic morass the country presently faces.

The problem involving the continuity of policies is more complex than TM has visualised. When TM introduced these policies, were they subject to broad discussion? No. TM decided and TM implemented. The ‘White paper’ introduced by Ranil Wickremesinghe was the correct procedure to follow. I am not sure of what that ‘White Paper’ contained and I am sure that all what he wanted he implemented. The principle of introducing a ‘white paper” and subjecting it to public scrutiny is correct. The next stage should be to seek consensus of all parties. This is supposed to be a democracy!

There was a mechanism to ensure the continuity of policies, through the Ministry of Planning, which was manned by cross border disciplines. Since 1977, this Ministry had been emasculated and the nails were hammered in by the present Secretary in Charge of Planning. The Planning function is now billeted by economists and, as a camouflage they have appointed NECD and SEMA. Both of them provide rubber stamps to other people’s decisions. Today it is a Government by Jayasundara, of Jayasundara and for Jayasundara.( Another record for the Guinness Book of Records – how to have a run of 16 years and ruin the economy, and still ‘ put parts’).

Therein lies the gene that produced the crises for the CPC, the CEB, the garbage disposal, the Transport sector Agriculture, Education and even dehydration of the soil and pollution of the atmosphere etc. etc.

A progressive step would have been to create a central Planning Commission reporting to the Speaker,(the Parliament). That system will ensure continuity, and prevent the wastage of public funds.

Let us now get down to the question of Party Politics at the Universities. She says ‘De-politicisation is very important. Student movements are deeply politicised.’ The coin has a flip side.

Introduction of politics to the universities had a long history and followed the succession to Sir Ivor Jennings as Vice Chancellor. Sir Nicholas Attygalla was the UNP appointed President of the Senate, a political appointment due to his affiliations to the party in power, was by no means dependant on his academic work. He was the Society Gynaecologist of the day. His tenure ran through three circuits, including one where he was backed by the SLFP government. Activities of ‘Dr. Tissa’ led to his retirement from the University circuit. The next Vice Chancellor was an Administrator, S.J.Walpita and since then, all Vice Chancellors of varying capabilities had been selected with a bias towards one political party or the other. To be fair by Sir Nicholas, his election was by a college of University Senators In that sense, his appointment was apolitical.

There is a record of a criminal case available at the Peradeniya University main library, which involves the injury caused to a policeman, by a concrete block dropped from the upper floor of Arunachalam Hall. The accused was a student, I believe that he ended up as a Superintendent of the Police and was in charge of the Kandy region. The accused student belonged to one of the traditional leftist parties. The incident took place before 1963.

In the mid sixties the Prime Minister late Dudley Senanayake addressed the students at Peradeniya. At the identical time, else where, the Student Council elections were being won by Mohamed Irshad, of the UNP affiliated union. What started with that ended in chaos that lasted at least a week. Again two students unions of the traditional left were involved.

The ridiculous exhibitionism meted to the Lady Prime Minister was also organised by the unions of the traditional left.

What I am trying to establish is that student unions and their allegiances to political parties is traditional. This is said to be so even in the U.K. The youth rebel against injustice; is true or perceived. If the youth do not rebel against injustice they are nothing but mere puppets or a more appropriate term is the Sinhala equivalent of a dummy or eunuch. A kingdom of puppets is a kingdom in its terminal stages.

Though TM does not explain why she seeks to depoliticise, the reason may be the chaos and the problems faced by the university administration. While accepting the chaos and the resultant difficulties, one with a balanced view cannot lay the blame on the shoulders of the politically aligned student groups only.

Harking back to period of my stay at Peradeniya, disruption of student and academic activity was a post 1963 phenomenon. In 1963, for the first time, the Arts Graduates found that the opportunities for employment were becoming tight. During that time, it was very difficult to engage the Medical, Dental or Engineering students to join in protests. Today, other than the pure Science Faculty, graduates from all other streams find it difficult to find employment. The students of the medical stream are as active as the students from the arts stream

The causative problem is the impending insecurity of employment after spending the parent’s hard earned money and the time and energy spent on studies. Correct that parameter, all the rest will improve. They will join the system, as exhibited by the medical graduates in private practice. When they visit the consulting rooms they are as conservative as the rest. The mirage of the lucrative nature of a degree in IT is still there, it will burst in the next 2-3 years, and more problems for the administration. This is exuberated by the fact that most students do not have the finances for multi disciplinary studies after the GCE (AL).

Sri Lanka has a limited land mass and a microscopic population (20 million). With such a market, it is difficult for our agriculture or industry to compete with agriculture or industry based in countries with a 200 – 300 million or even 1 to 1.5 billion population. To expect our agriculture or industry to compete with those with such massive markets is a trial in lunacy. Contrary to Ronnie de Mel’s or Jayasundara’s economics, our agriculture and industry should be protected. Why not, even in the West is agriculture subsidised. That will provide the means of employment.

The 42,000 or so graduate pool is a God given pool of resource and talent. What infrastructure is there for them to contribute their talent? With each and every budget since 1977, the avenues available are being strangled.

It will take another essay, to pin point the mass of avenues available if there is reasonable degree of protection to local agriculture and industry. I will deal with my area of interest, fuel alcohol and the related field sugar. If properly planned, these two industries can absorb at least 8,000 graduates initially and about 20,000 AL students. If it is well planned, we should be self sufficient in sugar and 90% self-sufficient in liquid fuel.

That saving will pay for the education of our students.

Competency in English for employment is a myth. Does the academe, industry or agriculture in France Germany, Russia, Japan or China require English, are they backward? Did Pythogoras, the Inthcas, the builders of Pyramids, the builders of Angkor Wat or even our own King Buddhadasa or the designers of our irrigation system or even the designer of Ruwanveliseya study English? English is useful, it is also necessary for correspondence with the outside world and no more. Was Professor……. my batch mate, competent in English when he entered the Bio Science faculty at Peradeniya in 1963? No.

We were dealing with university education. The subject based Nobel Prizes are the ultimate achievement to the academics and the researchers. The Nobel Prize committee seek nominations from the universities and universities only for academe based selection. The recommendations are based on achievements in research. Had that committee ever sought nomination from any of the Sri Lanka based universities? To blame the politicised students for such shortcomings is an exercise in cowardice and a matter of passing the buck.

The products of such research becomes the property of the respective university and there is a market for them. The sales proceed is shared with the students, who get the bulk share. The income from such sales go a long way to provide bursaries, to help students in research, to meet internal expenses. That is the products of Doctoral research is income generating as they bear the same authority as a patent and is covered by laws involving Intellectual Property.

I now come to the next stage of my essay, does Sri Lanka possess effective safeguards for intellectual property? Leaving aside safeguards, the one who speaks about intellectual property, has no knowledge of the means to safeguarding such property internationally.

Dr. de Mel, this is more a very complex problem. Since you are committed to improving the education of our children, I believe a deeper study of the problem is called for, before you act.

Finally Dr. de Mel, as an experienced Manager, I would prefer to deal with known entities rather than shadowy entities like ‘Dr. Tissa’ who left the University community shell shocked.

The writer could be reached via email spupalisw@yahoo.com