Uni teachers end strike in fighting mood

By Sanjaya Nallaperuma

The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) last week decided to temporarily halt their strike action which had dragged on for months over salary anomalies.
The President of the FUTA Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri told this newspaper that though they were not fully agreeable to all the proposals mooted by the government they had taken a unilateral decision to suspend their strike for the time being.
But, Dr. Nirmal Devasiri warned that if the government was to pussy foot this issue and refrain from looking into addressing the salary anomalies of university lecturers comprehensively,they will be compelled to restart their strike forthwith.
He said due to a few issues  both lecturers and the government had been able to come to an understanding on, the FUTA had decided to forgo the strike.

Failed to grant
The FUTA president asserted that due to the strike action that was launched by them the majority of university lecturers had been able to win most of the demands they had asked for.
The main demand that was put forward by the FUTA during the strike was that academics’ salaries should be increased. Though the government had failed to grant most of those demands so far Dr. Devasiri said that the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime had consented to hike the salary of a senior professor by 1 lakh and 15,000 rupees. This has resulted in the salaries of lecturers of that category going up by as much as  15,000 rupees. Furthermore the salary drawn by a professor would go up by 17.000 rupees -- and a senior lecturer’s salary is to go up by 13,000 rupees.
A second grade lecturer’s salary would go up by 12,000 rupees while a lecturer’s take home salary will be increased by 8.000 rupees.
Dr. Nirmal Devasiri insisted that though their Federation was not entirely pleased with the salary structure mooted by the government, they would continue to hold more talks with the government in order to win their, ‘just demands’ as he called them.

Trying to scupper
He also said that though the government has shown a readiness to solve the salary anomalies of lecturers there were still many shortcomings within the university structure.
He also promised to initiate talks in this regard with the government as he said that without improving the quality of university education there is no way for the university system in this country to reach high standards maintained by prestigious universities abroad.
Dr. Devasiri also charged that when the FUTA was playing a pivotal role to seek a better future for all university lecturers in this country; a certain body affiliated to the government was trying to scupper their work. But, he warned that they could not be silenced by threats or by  spoiler work and that they will continue to take a stand for the rights of the university lecturers whatever the government in power was.
 

How I blundered into English

The Sunday Island
July 23, 2011, 4:50 pm



By Charita Wijeratne

I was fortunate to have sat the SSC in the late 1940s. Those days passing the English medium SSC was as simple as eating cadju. So simple that even I, attending a cajan shed school in Kegalle where English was never spoken except by the teacher when taking a particular lesson, was through at the first shy. First, because, syllabuses were within the scope of ordinary humans; second, because, only 33 marks had to be scored for a pass and; third, because, of the seven subjects required to be passed four required no English and one required only a faint acquaintance – Sinhala language, Sinhala Literature, Art, Buddhism and Arithmetic. With those five and two others you are through. I shudder at the vastness of today’s syllabus for GCE (O/L). If I were to attempt it today I would never get even an ordinary pass, because, I am not a studious person, least a crammer.

My father was a village school head master and was so impressed by the son’s performance that he decided to send me to a big college in Kandy to do University entrance. In those times university education was hardly known, but my father being a school teacher, knew, UE classes were found only in large city colleges. So, with the help of a relative I was admitted to a big college in Kandy on the condition that I pay fees. On entering the school with my father I was so awed and even overawed by the splendor of the surroundings, the enormity of the building, the smart boys walking briskly in noisy shoes and chatting away in indistinctive English, well attired teachers and the Christian priests in cassocks, that I felt inclined to go back home. Of course, I couldn’t tell that to my father who soon went away leaving me within those mysterious surroundings.

I was taken to the HSC and UE class in which there were about twelve other students who looked at me curiously because I was in shorts. The class teacher entered. He was a full-kitted imposing personality carrying a large bundle of books which exuded a scholarly aura. I was to learn later that this Mr. Santiago was born in Corsica, was London educated and was a MRST (Master of the Royal Society of Teachers) diploma holder. He called me to his table and after a few questions on my personal life, which I answered falteringly, he asked me to write an essay. The result of my effort was a half a page of scribing, after reading which Mr. Santiago looked askance and proceeded to advise me softly and almost confidentially: ‘I am telling you for your own good. You are wasting the best time of your life. If you improve your English by 600 per cent you may sit in this but there is no hope of entering university. Your English is not sufficient even to enter a convent. I am very sorry about you but I have to tell the truth for your good. So, what do you say?’ I realized the truth but had no choice, because, I couldn’t imagine going back home and telling my father about what Mr. Santiago said. Seeing my hesitation he said that I may sit anywhere in the class and do what I like but I am not to disturb other students.

I took a seat far in the back, quite distant from others. By next morning news about a boy in the UE class with no English spread in the school making my life there an utter misery. On the corridors during intervals groups of boys would rush at me and ask questions in high-flown words, and before I could say anything they exploded into loud laughter. Seeing my wrist-watch one asked ‘what does your chronometer indicate?’ Even teachers looked amused on seeing me. I kept myself away as best as I possibly could. If I spotted boys approaching at a distance I did a detour. I dared not walk along corridors or be seen outside.

But one day they got me. I avoided the college tuck-shop and went to a wretched hotel in town for lunch. About six boys stealthily followed and started harassing me at my meal. Bewildered waiters and customers were watching the scene. I just couldn’t take it any more and impulsively grabbing a soda bottle hit out wildly, wounding three bullies. The hotel was in an uproar. The mudalali was dialing the police, but the boys pleaded and he agreed on the condition of their paying for the damages. They agreed and the incident ended. The episode was a blessing, because, hearing of my violent reaction everyone began to fear me. Many greeted me cheerfully and even tried to befriend me. If I were to end the episode here, I would be ungrateful to a saint – Fr. Leo Nanayakkara, who during my worst days spoke to me humanely and consolingly. I got so attached to him that despite my being a devoted Buddhist I attended church when he was taking the lunch hour service. I enjoyed singing with him Chitra Sompala’s melodies like Obe Komala ath vihida – mithukam apa thula pahada.

Now back to class, I spent the day reading story books, for nothing else to do. I also enjoyed Mr. Santiago’s lectures, though little understood. However, in Kegalle I was infected by public speeches of left leaders. I had also been drawn into the Hela controversy of Sinhala scholars, then raging in the country. So, knowledge-wise I was not so backward, after all. In all probability I was ahead of many in the college. Frustration in the class turned me to politics and I joined a LSSP youth league and attended a study class conducted by Doric de Souza, Senior English Lecturer in the University. The class was in a sort of hideout cell in Hindagala. I was elated to rub shoulders with undergraduates. One day I had the first experience of singing ‘Sadukin Pelena Wun’ and happened to keep rythm by clapping. At the end, Doric brusquely walked up to me and said sternly "did you take this for a baila party?’ Later he gave me an issue of the English weekly, the Samasamajist, which was to be the turning point in my student life.

From then on, I was well occupied in the class, trying to read and comprehend the passages in the journal. It carried articles by NM, Colvin, Doric, Leslie, Ludowyck, Bernard Soysa and others. I read sentences with utmost diligence, broke them into phrases, noted the arrangement and tried to get some sense of what was being said and how it was said. The dictionary was close by. My own little knowledge of politics and economics made it easier to grasp or guess the meaning. The ways of expression and nuances stimulated my urge to learn English and express things forcefully or wittily. Doric wrote clear and straightforward English which made comprehension easy. I read word by word and phrase by phrase. Then I realized, there were patterns in sentences. Thus scrutinizing for six hours in school and late into the night in my boarding room, it took me about a week to finish one article. By then the next issue had come. My pre-acquaintance with facts stood in good stead and I was able to fit the meaning to the sentence pattern.

Three months went by and one fine day, who walks into the class – the Education Inspector. Mr. Santiago was hammering away on the Senate. Those days teachers were beholden to school inspectors because the latter could influence annual increments and promotions. Mr. Santiago was more concerned about his prestige as a scholarly teacher. Any way, now the inspector took command of the lesson and asked the class, ‘what are the advantages of the second chamber in Sri Lanka?’ No response. He pointed to each student ‘yes, you, you,’ but all looked up and down in embarrassment. I was too far back to be noticed. I saw Mr. Santiago’s indignant and embarrassed face. I really felt sorry because I thought he was being humiliated. This induced me to come forth, since I knew the answer. I had learnt almost by-heart an article on the senate by Doric de Souza who was then a senator himself. Diffidently and half heartedly, I made a gesture like raising my hand, at which the inspector spotted me and almost cried out, ‘yes, yes, come on, speak up,’ I arose and managed to say, though falteringly, ‘sir, there are no advantages but there are disadvantages.’ Then I looked at Mr. Santiago, because, he might think that this simpleton is going to add insult to injury. But the inspector was shouting, ‘so come out, what are the disadvantages?’ This provoked me and seized by an impulse I let go in full a critique of the Ceylon Senate by Doric de Souza. Word to word of first class English, I went on and on for twenty minutes or so. When I sat everyone was dumbfounded. I saw the inspector shake Santiago’s hand and saying something like, ‘of course, there is nothing to look in your teaching.’ When he left Mr. Santiago stood still staring at me, more amused than astonished, and then he burst into loud laughter, quite unlike him. In the afternoon he sent for me to the staffroom and said, ‘you know Wijeratne, I had noted you engrossed in reading and also heard the incident in the hotel. I always had the hunch that you one day will enter university or jail. The premonition became real because I entered both – a week’s stint in remand jail over a minor political squabble in Amparai. Next day I was elevated to the front row, being raised to the status of a student. Mr. Santiago also gave me Harold J. Laski’s grammar of politics which I was able to comprehend only in my final year in the university. The news of my performance echoed down the school corridors and a few weeks later many a boy was secretly approaching me to get their love letters polished or to write speeches for the literary association. Later I was to lead the college debating team and was one of the two to enter university next year.

True, my miracle was an act of memory. But in the process I had mastered the language. One advantage I prepossessed was that I was already equipped with some material, enabling me to comprehend or guess the meaning of a sentence. I read a sentence several times and observed how words were woven into a pattern to convey a certain idea in a certain way. After I learnt a pattern it was simple to substitute words with other words. I noted that there are only about thirty such patterns in the English language and that if I were to master about twenty four of them I could be fluent in the language. I practiced by substituting crucial words in a sentence pattern with other words to bring out a different idea, and it worked. In a simple sentence like ‘The sun rises’ I substituted ‘sun’ with ‘moon’ or the verb was changed from ‘rises’ to ‘sets’. Then I expanded the sentence by adding ‘ in the morning’ and ‘in the evening’. Similarly, the negative, the tense and the interrogative were tried out. So on and so forth, I made it sort of a game. After practicing complicated sentences, I took a chance by entering an essay competition in the Daily News. I won and still have the prize – John Still’s Jungle Tide. In the expression of Dr. Tennakoon Wimalananda, I ‘guard it like a dragon’.

A similar approach I saw in a teachers’ guide to the English language brought out in the early 1970s by the English section of the curriculum centre. It was such an excellent guide that a certain teacher who followed it to the letter produced 100 per cent passes with quite a few credits. The wise-a-cres of the 1977 regime quashed it. Most interestingly, that school inspector was a member of that committee. Whom I recognized and introduced myself, on a casual visit to meet a friend. His name was Manickkavasagam and when reminded about the incident he laughingly said ‘it was a good play-act’ – and we celebrated the occasion after 22 years!

When teaching English to students who already know one language, the teacher can approach by comprehending a paragraph himself, initially and then before introducing the passage, teach the meaning and usage of difficult words and phrases. Sentences can be made by the students themselves and made to repeat individually and in chorus. Once the word patterns are mastered the passage can be introduced. Learning English will then be joyous. It can be a sport.

Disappointed over not securing university admissions thru’ UGC? This is not the end of the road!

The Sunday Island

July 23, 2011, 4:40 pm

For those seeking other avenues for tertiary education including higher /professional / technological /vocational education

by: Prof. Dayantha Wijeyesekera
- Chairman, Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission.

The Post Secondary school students who sought Sri Lanka University Education having sat for the G.C.E. Advanced level examinations in August 2010 would have been informed of their prospects of pursuing a programme of study in a Conventional University in Sri Lanka through the admissions processed at the University Grants Commission (UGC).

Some would be rejoicing having obtained their desired field of study and the desired university while some others would be quite disappointed at varying levels. Also there may be some who have the required entry requirements, but nevertheless would wish to pursue other alternate avenues of Tertiary and Vocational Education. Furthermore, there may be those who did not even attempt the G.C.E. Advanced Level examination, since they prefer alternate routes of Tertiary Education as some of us did in following Technical Courses soon after G.C.E.(O-level) "Ordinary Level"

This message is not for a category of "Drop Outs" as I do not believe there is such a category, but to encourage and motivate the 96% (approx) of the age cohort who seek alternate routes for their career development through Tertiary Education of which university education through UGC at the Conventional Universities and their Institutes is just one of the avenues in Sri Lanka, catering only to about 4 % of the age cohort.

For those who seek "University" education in Sri Lanka, they should be reminded that within the UGC, there is the Open University of Sri Lanka and also in addition there are other Universities outside the UGC established under separate Acts of Parliament such as, the University of Vocational Technology, Buddhist & Pali University of Sri Lanka, Buddhasravaka Bhiksu University, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University.

In addition there are Local Degree Awarding Institutes recognized by the UGC and the Ministry of Higher Education. These are as listed below and their respective websites would give details of the Programmes of Study being offered leading to recognised accredited degrees:-

* Institute of Technological Studies

* Institute of Surveying and Mapping

* Aquinas College of Higher Studies

* National Institute of Social Development

* National Institute of Business Management

* National Institute of Fisheries and

Nautical Engineering

* Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology

* Aquinas College of Higher Studies

Diploma level Programmes of Study are offered under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development and also under Ministry Higher Education. These are programmes leading to National Diplomas and Higher National Diplomas with career development pathways subsequently available to degree level.

Well recognized Professional Courses are also available through Member Associations of the Organization of Professional Associations (OPA). The Member Associations of the OPA which offer such courses are as listed below.

* Institute of Chartered Accountants of

Sri Lanka

* Sri Lanka Institute of Architects

* Sri Lanka Library Association

* Institute of Supply & Materials Management

* Chartered Institute of Management Accountants

* Pharmaceutical Society of Sri Lanka

* Institute of Chemistry, Ceylon

* Gemmologists Association of Sri Lanka

* Institute of Chartered Secretaries

& Administrators

* Institute of Personnel Management, Sri Lanka

* Computer Society of Sri Lanka

* Institute of Valuers of Sri Lanka

* The Textile Institute Sri Lanka Section

* Institute Chartered Shipbrokers, Sri Lanka

* Institute of Quantity Surveyors, Sri Lanka

* Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing

* Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka

Of course, there are also many Private Higher Education institutes conducting relevant training programmes through Certificate, Diploma and Advanced Diplomas etc of International Qualification Awarding bodies and degrees of Overseas Universities. The Academic Credibility and the Registration of such non - degree level Tertiary Education Institutes should be ascertained from the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission (TVEC) the details could be obtained by visiting its website www.tvec.gov.lk. Undoubtedly, obtaining such qualifications through programmes of study while being partly or fully in Sri Lanka would be of a lesser financial burden than proceeding overseas , to obtain the same qualifications.

In addition to all the above, the trend in the development of Tertiary Education and Vocational Training world over is the rapid progress and recognition of Vocational Education. In some developed countries, fields such as Law, Medicine, IT and Engineering are now categorized as Vocations. It has to be clearly understood by Post secondary School leavers, their parents, teachers and school authorities, that while graduating to obtain a degree is prestigious there are many other avenues of obtaining Professional, Technological and Vocational Qualifications which can be equally or more prestigious rather than being an "unemployed graduate" with a degree or being a frustrated secondary school student repeatedly trying to secure a place in a conventional university.



There are currently about 800 Tertiary level educational institutes maintaining the TVEC registration, with TVEC Accredited courses. The Tertiary and Vocation Education and Training opportunities through TVEC Registered and Accredited courses could be verified by visiting the TVEC website www.tvec.gov.lk through the link "Registration and Accreditation".

FIELDS OF STUDY IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS

Agriculture Plantation and Livestock

Languages

Art Design and Media (Visual and Performing)

Leather and Footwear

Automobile Repair and Maintenance

Marine and Nautical Science

Aviation and Aeronautics

Mechatronics Technology

Building and Construction

Medical and Health Science

Electrical, Electronics and Telecommunication

Metal and Light Engineering

Finance Banking and Management

Office Management

Fisheries and Aquaculture

Personal and Community Development

Food Technology

Printing and Packaging

Gem and Jewellery

Refrigeration and Air Conditioning

Hotel and Tourism

Textile and Garments

Human Recourses Management

Trainer Training

Information Communication and Multimedia Technology

Wood Related

Most of these courses of study are now aligned to the National Vocational Qualifications framework (NVQF) which ranges from NVQ levels 1 to 7, where level 7 is at degree level for some selected fields at the University of Vocational Technology at Ratmalana.

The TVET GUIDE 2011 presents Fields of Study as shown above, available in the Provinces of Sri Lanka in the various districts. For Human Resource Development and to be gainfully employed with career prospects for further academic advancement even upto degree level, these avenues should be explored and pursued rather than focusing only on the traditional routes some of which may be now outdated.

The fight will continue, vow academics

The Sunday Times

Lectures may resume, but lecturers have not dropped salary issue.

Nadia Fazlulhaq reports

University lecturers have ended their two-month-long trade union action, but vow to resume agitating for pay increases if the government fails to align salaries according to official recommendations made in 2008. On Thursday, the Federation of University Teachers’ Association (FUTA) agreed to an interim solution offered by the government to increase salaries for university faculty members. Accordingly, the gross salary (allowances included) of a senior professor will be raised from Rs. 98,380 to Rs. 114,984; a senior lecturer (Grade II) from Rs. 65,962 to Rs. 77,726, and a probationary lecturer from Rs. 48, 626 to Rs. 50,910. Tertiary students have missed out on lectures because of trade union action. In 2008, a University Grants Commission (UGC) special committee proposed to the National Salaries and Cadres Commission salaries of Rs. 168, 750 for a university professor; Rs. 110,000 for a senior lecturer, and Rs. 55,000 for a probationary lecturer. However, the lobbying for higher pay will continue, says FUTA President Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri. “We have suspended trade union action and accepted the meagre salary increase out of consideration for the students, who had been missing out on lectures,” Dr. Dewasiri told the Sunday Times. “If the government fails to meet our demands in future, we will continue our struggle, and the next time we will be more aggressive.” University academics have also asked for other concessions. They want the 12 years’ service requirement for entitlement to duty-free facilities reduced to five years; the Grade One schools admission quota scheme to be extended to include children of academics; and the withdrawal of the three months’ notice requirement ahead of resignation. Faculty members also say the basic salary should not be touched to make payments to the University Provident Fund (UPF). “A senior professor’s basic salary is Rs. 57,755, a Grade II senior lecturer’s is Rs. 37, 650, and a probationary lecturer’s Rs. 26,900. To make deductions from our basic salary for the UPF is an insult to the academic community,” said Dr. Dewasiri, who is also head of the History and International Relations Department of the University of Colombo. University staff have other gripes too. They say they do not get housing loans, vehicles for their use, or a fuel allowance. A 36.25 per cent salary increase given this year represents a 5 per cent general increase on basic salary for all government employees, a 6.25 per cent for academic work, and a 25 per cent for research. “In 2006, the academic allowance was reduced by 5 per cent, and this year it was increased by 6.25 per cent. So in effect we have been given only a 1.25 per cent increase,” Dr. Dewasiri said. FUTA has called for a special committee, representing the Treasury, the Ministry of Higher Education Ministry, the UGC and FUTA, to review university salaries. It was out of consideration for the students that FUTA decided not to boycott the marking of GCE Advanced Level answer scripts, Dr. Dewasiri said. In May this year, more than 4,700 senior professors, Grade II lecturers and probationary lecturers resigned from their voluntary posts, saying their basic salaries had not been revised in nearly two decades. Voluntary positions include heads of departments, unit and programme coordinators, and hostel wardens. The union action affected some 60,000 tertiary students across the country. Lectures were suspended and exams and convocations postponed. The majority of the students had to return to their homes and villages because the hostels and canteens were closed. The salary issue has been humiliating to university academics, according to FUTA spokesman Dr. Mahim Mendis. “Our lecturers are the lowest paid, compared with lecturers in the rest of the region,” Dr. Mendis told the Sunday Times. “Except for Moratuwa University, only some 20 per cent of senior lecturers in our universities hold PhDs. There are less than 40 senior professors in the country. The majority of the highly qualified Sri Lankan academics have left the country.” Asian countries such Singapore and Malaysia offer more attractive university salary packages than Sri Lanka. “We should be attracting academics, if Sri Lanka is to be a knowledge hub. Only 2 per cent of our gross domestic product goes for higher education. Bangladesh spends 10 per cent of its GDP on higher education, and other South Asian countries spend up to 6 per cent of the national income,” Dr. Mendis said. Dr. S. Nawaratne, Secretary to the Ministry of Higher Education, said a committee representing all parties will look into salary anomalies and discuss ways to improve the quality of higher education. He said the state spends Rs. 8 billion a year on salaries for academic and non-academic staff.

Nuclear Power for Sri Lanka ? – A reply

The Island

July 23, 2011, 12:00 pm


by Dr. Prinath Dias

This is with reference to the article written by Dr. A.C. Visvalingam, President of the Citizen’s Movement for Good Governance (CIMOGG) titled "Nuclear Power for Sri Lanka?" which appeared on the 26th of June in the Sunday Island. This article makes a strong case against the use of nuclear power, but has used incorrect information in many of its arguments. The main purpose of this article is to correct the wrong information presented in the previous article and to provide some additional informationon nuclear power.

The Role of Nuclear Power

As I understand, the Government of Sri Lanka has not made a decision to use nuclear power but has decided to consider it as a possible option for generation of electrical energy in the future. Electrical energy is essential for the economic development of any country. Industrial development is impossible without a reliable and an economical supply of electrical energy. The current annual consumption of electrical energy per person in Sri Lanka is about 450 kWh, compared with 12,500 kWh in the USA, 8,300 in South Korea, 8,100 in Singapore, 3,500 in Malaysia, 2,000 in Thailand, 480 in India and 150 kWh in Bangladesh. These numbers clearly indicate the link between the level of development and the demand for electrical energy. Countries like South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia would not have been able to achieve the level of development they have achieved if they were unable to expand their electrical power generating capacity to meet the growing demand for electrical energy as a result of industrial / commercial growth.Even reaching a modest per capita consumption of 1000 kWh per person per year in Sri Lanka would require almost doubling the present electrical power generating capacity. At present the demand of electrical energy in Sri Lanka is increasing at a rate of about 8% per year. This could be expected to increase further if there is an increase in the rate of economic development.

At the early stages of developing our electrical power generating capacity, Sri Lanka heavily depended on hydro power supplemented by thermal power. Later on, thermal power produced in our gas turbine plants, diesel plants etc. became the main source of power. Even though the need to establish coal power plants to bring down the cost of electricity and to improve the reliability was recognized more than twenty years ago, the construction of the first coal power plant in Sri Lanka was extensively delayed due to wrong information provided to the public about the environmental effects of coal power. The CEB is now planning to construct several coal power plants to meet the rising demand for electrical energy. Coal power supplemented by other types of diesel plants, hydro power and renewable sources of energy such as wind energy can be expected to meet the demand for electrical energy in Sri Lanka during the next 10-15 years, depending on how fast our demand for electrical energy increases. However, whether coal power plants supplemented by the other sources of energy could continue to meet the demand for electrical energy beyond this time period is uncertain.

Coal power plants produce solid and gaseous pollutants, which could place a limit on the coal generating capacity in order to prevent environmental degradation. Coal and other fossil fuels produce carbon dioxide that contributes to the green house effect. Even though the amount of carbon dioxide produced in our power plants will have a minimal impact at global level, there is a possibility of the introduction of a "carbon tax" at international level in order to control climate change. If it happens, it could make coal power uneconomical. Renewable sources of energy possibly could make a bigger contribution, but at present they are much more expensive than the other sources of energy we use. In addition to the cost, the intermittent nature of these power sources has made it impossible to increase their share by more than 10% in order to maintain the stability of our electrical power transmission network. In view of the above, it would be prudent to be aware of the possibility of having to use a power source other than fossil fuels and renewable sources of energy to meet the demand for electrical energy in the future. The only feasible option that is presently known is nuclear power.

The need and the ability to use nuclear power will depend on, how rapidly and for how long the demand for electrical power will increase, which in turn will depend on the development polices of the Government, whether or not coal power can continue to meet the future demand economically without causing environmental problems, whether future technological developments will make renewable energy less costly and more reliable, whether Sri Lanka can overcome the constraints we would face in introducing nuclear power and whether the infrastructure required to support a nuclear power programmecan be developed.

As the article of Dr. Visvalingam has correctly pointed out, a nuclear power programme cannot be implemented without well trained personnel. Training of personnel and developing the infrastructure for a nuclear power programme require time. If there is a possibility of having to use nuclear power in the future, action needs to be taken now to provide a basic knowledge of this technology to the relevant personnel who could advice the Government on the need and advisability of commencing a nuclear power programme based on scientific and technological facts, rather than on incorrect information provided by mass media. This does not require a big investment and our Universities can play a major role in this regard. The assistance from the International Atomic Energy Agency of which Sri Lanka is a Member State also can be sought. It is also possible to undertake certain studies at this stage in order to be better prepared, in the event the need to use nuclear power arises in the future.

Incorrect Statements

As mentioned above, the article of 26th June by Dr. Visvalingamcontains some statements that cannot be considered correct. The very first statement which states that "China, France, India, Russia, UK, USA and a few other countries with enormous financial and technical resources ……… are going ahead with the construction of nuclear power stations……" is incorrect. At present 30 countries including Pakistan, Armenia, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Mexico use nuclear power. Many of these countries do not have "enormous financial and technical resources". The total capacity of the 440 nuclear power plants in operation which generates 16% of electrical energy generated worldwide is 374,000 MW which is about 120 times the power generating capacity of Sri Lanka. (http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/focus/nuclearpower/ ). 65 new plants are under construction and several other countries including Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Bangladesh are at various stages of developing their nuclear power programmes.

Any country that decides to use nuclear power (or any other technology for that matter) would have to acquire the required scientific and engineering knowledge. Except for a very few, all countries that use nuclear power have acquired this technology from other countries. It is not necessary to totally depend on plant manufactures for human resource development, nor it is possible. Sri Lanka as a Member State of the International Atomic Energy Agency of the United Nations can seek the assistance of the IAEA, which has a comprehensive programme for helping Member States that have decided to use nuclear power, to do so. The cost of fuel is a very small component of the cost of generation and the cost of uranium is governed by market forces. It is not possible for any supplier to increase the prices arbitrarily.

Some countries have managed to develop the capability of constructing nuclear power plants and the statement about the funds spent on nuclear power plants remaining in such countries is correct. But all countries that use nuclear power do not have this capability. Even the countries that have developed the capability of building nuclear power plants had to depend on other countries in building the first few plants. In the case of Sri Lanka, irrespective of whether it is a hydro power plant, a coal power plant, any other type of thermal plant, or a nuclear power plant, the money spent will not remain in the country, since all our power plants have been and will be built by foreign companies.

Accidents

The information provided about nuclear accidents is also not quite correct. There had been three accidents in nuclear power plants that resulted in the release of radioactive material to the environment. The Three Mile Accident that occurred in the USA in 1979 released a minute amount of radiation and no person living in the vicinity of the plant received a radiation dose exceeding that of an X-ray examination.

The worst accident was the Chernobyl accident which occurred in April 1986 as result of the plant operators extensively violating the operating procedures while conducting an experiment with the power plant. A very large amount of radioactive material was released to the environment as a result. However, according to the Chernobyl Forum which comprises seven UN organizations (FAO, WHO, IAEA, UNSCEAR, UNEP, UNDP, UNOCHA) and the World Bank, up to mid 2005, (when the report was issued) this accident had caused 50 deaths. Another 4000 persons among those who were exposed to the highest level of radiation are expected to eventually die of cancer, which is a 3% increase of cancer deaths among this very large population. About 5000 children have been affected by thyroid cancer as a result of consuming milk containing radioactive iodine. They have been successfully treated and the survival rate is estimated as 99%.The Forum "did not find profound negative health impacts to the rest of the population in surrounding areas, nor widespread contamination that would continue to pose a substantial threat to human health". (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2005/pr38/en/index.html).

These deaths are unfortunate and should have been avoided. But there are many human activities thatare not without risk. For example auto accidents kill 50,000 persons per year in USA and 2000 persons per year in Sri Lanka. Yet we continue to use them. There is certainly a risk in using nuclear power. The question is how this risk compares with the risks we normally accept in our daily life and whether the risk is worth the benefits. Isn’t nuclear power which will eventually kill about 5000 persons (in a period of more than 25 years) in the worst possible accident safer than automobiles that kill close to 100,000 persons worldwide every year?

The third accident was the accident at Fukushima which was caused by a massive earthquake and a Tsunami on the 11th of March. The amount of radioactivity released was less than that of Chernobyl and better precautions were taken by the authorities to mitigate the effects of the accident. The health effects of the accident are yet to be known, but can be expected to be less than that of the Chernobyl accident.

Even though the health effects of these accidents are not as severe as very widely believed, the economic cost of these accidents is very high. These accidents, in addition to making it impossible to use these power plants again, also have made it necessary to spend a large amount of money to contain the spread of radioactivity and to pay compensation for those affected. Even though the probability of such an accident is very small, a country like Sri Lanka would not be able to withstand such a high economic loss, if an accident occurs. This is a factor that needs to be very carefully considered in deciding to use nuclear power plants. The next generation of nuclear reactors is being built to be inherently safe. These reactors are expected to be accident proof and if they live up to the expectations once they are built and operated, they could be more suitable for countries like Sri Lanka.

In conclusion, Sri Lanka is not yet in a position to decide on whether or not it should or would have to use nuclear power in the future. This will depend on a number of factors that are unknown at present. Nuclear power is being considered as a possible option for power generation in the future. However, it would be necessary to create a group of persons who have the scientific knowledge of this technology, who could undertake the preliminary studies in order to collect the information required to advice the Government and the public on the pros and cons of nuclear power based on scientific information, rather than on the incorrect and misleading information provided through public media.

The statement that the CIMOGG does not claim to be an authority on nuclear power but has based its observations on common sense is well appreciated. I congratulate the CIMOGG on some very valid points raised. However, while common sense based on correct information could lead to the right decision, the opposite would be true if it is based on wrong information.

(The writer holds a PhD in Nuclear Engineering and is a former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Authority of Sri Lanka. He has also served as a staff member of the International Atomic Energy Agency of the United Nations)

FUTA Cease Trade Union Action

The Sunday Leader
By Janith Aranze
The Federation of University Teachers Association (FUTA) has called off its 3 month long trade union action this week.
The FUTA has reluctantly settled for an interim solution, which will see their salary rise to Rs. 115,000 per month, after originally demanding a wage of Rs. 150,000 per month. Spokesman for FUTA, Dr Mahim Mendis, told The Sunday Leader that he is still deeply dissatisfied with the arrangement. “University academics are still extremely angry, 25% of our salary needs to go towards research and development, and so in reality we are getting Rs. 101,000 per month.
The reason we have accepted this solution is because we are more concerned about university students and A-level students in this country,” he explained.
Mendis confirmed that the marking of A-Level papers will now recommence but on the basis that the government appoints a special committee to facilitate a solution that is agreeable to bothparties.
“A-level marking will begin again as we have ceased our trade union action. The government has agreed to appoint a special committee, where we hope the matter will be sorted out during the next few days,” Mendis s