Education under attack?

March 29, 2014, 9:25 pm , SundayIsland

An interview with Dr. Rohan Fernando, General Secretary, FUTA

By Maheen Senanayake

When I entered the premises of the Open university, I entered a different world - one that was expansive, and in some ways one of solitude. Finding the right building was no easy task, but disabled and on crutches, albeit temporarily, I found getting on to the second floor of the natural sciences building daunting. Despite the elevator, the architectural nightmare needed a little more attention. Close inspection revealed that it was wanting of resources for maintenance. Dampness was home to mildew and moss.

I finally found Room 211, the home of the FUTA, the cubicle within which the humble Dr. Rohan Fernando, as I later found out only much later, put off his lunch until much later in the afternoon due to my arrival ahead of schedule.

Whatever he lacked in height he made up in stature, and there was a down to earth charisma about him that was immediately apparent. He was charged yet restrained and never in a hurry. His voice also carried, which meant he could modulate it at will – a mandatory requirement if you were going to marshal troops on the ground. His demeanor was exemplary.

Can you tell us about the FUTA’s beginings?

Well to the best of my knowledge, the FUTA was founded by Professor Osmund Jayaratne in the late 1980s. He understood the need for a FUTA as a timely requirement at the time, to safeguard the rights of academic staff. Subsequently, prominent figures also contributed substantially namely, Professor Sarath Amunugama, Dr. Nalin De Silva, and Prof Carlo Fonseka. The focus at the time was on the professional rights of the academic. One of the major victories of the day was turning the then book allowance into an academic allowance. The academic allowance was calculated on the basis of pay and at that time was calculated at 30%. Another success was the FUTA’s efforts to abolish the Colombo North Medical College in the early nineties. That was also, in my opinion, a great success.

So do you think it was right to abolish the private university?

Yes, I will give you a simple answer. In countries like Sri Lanka, after 1977 when the open economy was introduced, which I call new liberalism people changed education from a service to a marketable proposition. There was a lot of evidence from other countries and the same thing was happening here. We also felt that before the establishment of the private university, the national universities needed a lot of improvement including the state education system.

When the FUTA moved for abolishing the Colombo North Medical College, the principal proponents against its establishment included Rajitha Senaratne, the then president of the GMOA, Professor Carlo Fonseka and the third person was Prof Osmund Jayaratne.

When did this focus change?

Well the FUTA believes that there is both a workers’ struggle and a national struggle. We also feel that the national struggle has taken precedence over the rest. That is why now we are in the process of consolidating our line of thinking over the national struggle.

So what was the purpose of the trade union actions during the last year?

Having recognized the need for a national struggle we stepped out to reach the masses. Our aim was to educate the masses on how education is under attack.

Do you think the FUTA is connected with the masses?

Well if you consider the PadaYathra and how across days people of all walks of life showed their solidarity with the cause and how the marchers swelled into thousands when we reached Colombo, I would safely say that ‘yes’ we managed to create awareness.

So did you win? Did you get your 6% of GDP pumped into education?

I can safely say that we did not win. Despite assurances the government has resorted to blatant lying. So it is fair to say that the government is shameless and the subject ministers have absolutely no shame. What the people have to realize is that they are not committed to the welfare of the people. Furthermore, even within FUTA the political alliances within are a reflection of the political alliances outside so there are many within also who will not pursue sustained action against this government. There are agents of government within our own membership.

What is your take on the Minister of Higher Education?

He has openly stated that he is for the sale of education. If you refer to the Divaina of November 24, 2013 he says so in an interview. Then there is the minister of education and the deputy minister of education , both nice people but both tuition masters in whose hands now rests national and public education. Do I even need to explain what the consequences could be?

What do you think is wrong with education in Sri Lanka?

My father was a clerk and I studied in the village school. I got through the grade 5 scholarship exam and then managed to get into Ananda and finally enter university. That was then. But today the situation is different. We believe that if there is a child whose father is a clerk today, the system does not provide equal opportunity to the extent that that child will have the same chances of at least reaching where I have in this system. To support that I must say that I never went for supplementary tuition classes even when I did my Advanced Level examination. Another point to be made is that I didn’t have money to go for extra classes but the system managed to provide the education I needed to enable me to receive a university education. In other words the first thing that we feel is that we must ensure a common standard for all schools. We must do away with this concept of central colleges and popular schools ideology. The central college concept was suitable during the 50s. It was a good system then. We have to put our efforts back into proper infrastructure, training the teachers and equipping our schools. There has to be a master plan.

What about government allocations to universities?

Well this is another area that is very grey. The public has the right to know. But according to figures from sources I cannot yet mention, the capital expenditure on a student at the KDA is about 88 times that spent on a student in a national state university. Capital expenditure on a single institution like the KDA is almost more than what the government spends on the rest of the universities put together. Our question is ‘why?’ Why are these details not transparent? And why the disparity?

What is FUTA’s position on education?

This is a Federation of 41 Associations with a membership of slightly over 4,000. Given the diversity of our membership we have managed through dialogue at the executive committee level to maintain certain stands on key issue. The first of these is really the strengthening of the state universities. The need to spend 6% of GDP is towards that end.

What did you learn from strike action so far?

Well we had understood both the reality and the narrative of trade union action. We have all seen trade unions in action and some of us have been active members even from our university days. Our greatest learning perhaps is that people began to understand the need to put education back on track. Another thing is that we were able to show those below about 35 years that we can make a difference. We also showed that we were a worthy social movement, perhaps one able to make a political difference. We began our pada yathra from Galle and hoped to finish with the same 200 at least. We received such unbelievable support that there were thousands who joined us by the time we ended the pada yathra. This is why we say that FUTA is a political force to reckon with, one that can in fact bring together or perhaps even unite those with diverse political affiliations for the cause.

What is the origin of the 6%

Well UNESCO published "Learning: The treasure within’’ in 1996 - a document which was put together by the Commission on Education for the 21st Century. The argument for the 6% begins here. The Fifth International Conference on Adult Education held in Hamburg in July 1997 resolved the adoption of this figure under Theme 9, ‘The Economics of Adult Learning’ and finally the sixth International Conference on Adult Education held in Belem, Brazil in December of 2009 adopted this figure under theme 14 on financing.

As I left

When I left that room that day, it was a sad day indeed. On crutches after breaking a leg failing to get off before the bus sped away, (apparently that is the norm now) I pondered over the attack on education. Are we blind? Are people blind? Are the people helpless? I remembered Woodstock when artists and activists attempted to give power to the people. Then as I was getting back into my cab I saw the election posters, and thought ‘ by god, the vote’ Does that not give power to the people? Frankly I do not know.

Education reforms.

In the car I read a letter by Dr. Rohan Fernando to Dr. Sunil Jayantha Navaratne, Secretary, Ministry of Higher Education dated February 3, 2014. It read " It has been reported in the newpapers that the Ministry of Higher Education has sent a document proposing changes to the University Act to the Legal Draftsman. Furthermore, a Gazette notice has been tabled on the 31st or January 2014, amending Rule under Section 137 of the Universities Act No. 16 of 1978. We would like to remind you that when FUTA agreed to call off its trade union action in 2012, the agreement reached between the government and the FUTA was that the Ministry of Higher Education discuss any higher education policy changes with FUTA through a Special Presidential Committee. The Cabinet paper submitted by Minister S B Dissanayake and Minister Basil Rajapaksa proposes to establish a special commission to develop higher education policy reform…"

I lose interest. Why the hell is this other chap involved in higher education I ask myself, but then it does confirm the minister’s incompetence.. he needs help apparently. I browse lower, I continue reading;

"The latest Gazette allows for private institutions to be established without obtaining compliance from specified professional bodies. …"

I am now at Narahenpita and through the windows of the least safe car in the word I take in the majesty of the Lanka Hospitals as Dr. Rohan Fernando’s words ring in my mind ``…. education, transport and health should be a social service and run by the state".

Folks I leave you with a poem in Amartya Sen’s book, the idea of justice, a book I had no idea existed until the voice of Prof Carlo Fonseka, introduced me to it.. and I might add apoen recited to me by heart.

Adam, Adam, Adam Smith

Listen what I charge you with!

Didn’t you say,

In a class one day,

That selfishness was bound to pay?

Of all doctrines, that was the Pith.

Wasn’t it, wasn’t it, wasn’t it, Smith?

--Stephen Leacock