FUTA strike: and govt. attitude

September 13, 2012, 7:12 pm , The Island

An interesting article titled "The FUTA Strike: How Rational Is It? appeared in The Island of Sep. 12 It was written by a Senior Professor (Rohan Rajapakse of Ruhuna) who also happens to be a Consultant to the Ministry of Higher Education. Obviously it reflects the reasonings behind the government’s attitude which we hear often mouthed by the Minister of Higher Education. Let us take just one section from the article by Senior Professor cum Consultant (SPC). With regard to the "Political Interference " issue which is one of the grievances of the FUTA, the SPC argues that all university affairs are run by academics. He mentions that the UGC comprises of Senior Academics. One wonders whether the SPC is unaware of the fact that the IGC is a highly politicized institution. Even school children know that. Then the SPC says that within the University the affairs are run by academics who sit in various committees appointed from among themselves like the Faculty Boards, Senate, Curriculum, Finance etc. That is true.But who is the Vice Chancellor who presides over all affairs of the University? He is a political appointee. The SPC says that the appointment to the VC post is made from among the 3 names sent up by the Council. But very often democratic principles are not heeded .To cite the case of Peradeniya, the latest appointment, the person who got the highest number of votes was not appointed. Who then are the members of the Council which is the governing body of the University? There is the Vice Chancellor, the Deputy Vice Chancellor and the Deans of the Faculties and two representatives from the Senate who are University members. In addition there are to be (according to the Act) a number of appointees whose number should exceed by one, the number of university members. The people so appointed from outside according to the Act should be people of distinction who could be entrusted with h responsibility of sitting in judgment over university affairs. Without being personal, let me invite interested readers to go to the university websites and see for themselves the kind of people who have been recently appointed to these governing bodies of our highest seats of learning. Then for comparison they can peruse the UGC publications of earlier years and see the former councils and see for themselves the fall that has occurred. Some recent appointees are there solely because of political patronage. In the past only people of distinction in various spheres, sometimes people with national stature, were appointed by successive authorities, whether recommended by Vice Chancellors or Ministers or the UGCs. But a highly visible politicization has taken place in the recent past. This is the grievance of the FUTA.

More on the issue of political interderence which has risn to the highest level under the present minister. The latest UGC circular regarding appointments to the Academic Staff lays down that hereafter all selection committees will have two representatives from the UGC whose verdict will be the final word in the selection. What would that lead to? Knowing the Sri Lankan context we can be sure that in the future the criterion for being recruited to the Academic Staff will not be a First Class but political affiliation. We can imagine who the next set of University Professors will be! Can the SPC deny that Senior Academics who sit in the UGC have not blatantly violated academic excellence by this circular?

It appears that the SPC is blissfully unaware of these facts. But being a "consultant" who no doubt is being consulted on important matters he should be educated on such matters. Be that as it may, his reasonings also need an overhaul. Just look at this. Stating that the minister and the Ministry have responsibilities of accountability he says that therefore the Universities Act vests him with necessary powers. The SPC adds " The authority of the subject minister runs for several pages in the ACT but there is no mention of the FUTA anywhere in the act" What a marvelous argument!

Ajantha P. Liyanage