Pie in the sky, say dons and undergrads
An attainable goal, claims ministry secy
Increasing university intake to 100,000 by 2020: Two new universities to be set up
November 2, 2014, 9:21 pm
by Dasun Edirisinghe
University teachers, undergraduates and the Opposition claim that President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s recent budget proposal to increase the annual university intake to 100,000 by 2020 is not feasible given the woefully inadequate facilities at the national universities.
Executive Committee member of the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri said that it was not possible to achieve the target within six years without compromising the quality of the university education.
The government had opened some faculties such as Engineering and Medicine but there was much to be desired as regards the quality of education they imparted, Dr. Dewasiri said, claiming that the standards of some technical colleges were much higher than the newly established engineering faculties.
At present, 25,000 students admitted to the national universities annually.
Dr. Dewasiri said that there was a shortage of lecturers in several universities including the Colombo University, but the government did not take action to recruit qualified teachers to fill the existing vacancies. The universities were also expiring infrastructural problems, he pointed out. "The government keeps telling us that a programme is underway to raise the standards of our universities so that they will be among the best in the region, but how can it achieve this lofty goal without improving the quality of university education?"
The senior don accused the government of being manically focused on mega development projects at the expense of the higher education sector.
Convener of the Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF) Najith Indika said that government cut down on funds allocation for universities every year but it was now planning to increase the university intake by 75,000 in six years.
He said that the government promoted private universities without increasing facilities for state universities.
"We need to know President Rajapaksa’s vision to increase the intake in 2020 by enrolling students at both state and private universities," Indika said.
UNP MP Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said that a government which could not even maintain the existing facilities at universities had set an unattainable goal for itself for political reasons.
He said that the government found it difficult to enroll at least two batches simultaneously. He dismissed the government plan to increase the annual university intake to 100,000 in six years as pie in the sky. "The government is trying to take the people for a right royal ride once again, but they are wiser unlike in the past as could be seen from the lesson they taught it in Badulla at the last PC polls."
Kariyawasam said that capital expenditure for universities had been reduced by 60% besides the 50% decrease thereof during the last few years.
When contacted for comment, Secretary of the Higher Education Ministry Dr. Sunil Jayantha Nawaratne said that it was possible to increase the university intake to the level set by the President and that goal would certainly be achieved by 2020.
He said that plans were already underway to set up more faculties at several universities and to establish two new universities. He said the government was capable of achieving the goal in spite of what its detractors said.
An MoU on a new university called China-Sri Lanka Friendship University had been signed during the recent visit of Chinese President in Sri Lanka and a proposal had been prepared for a Japan-Sri Lanka Friendship University, too, Dr. Nawaratne said.
He said that government had planned to achieve the target not only with the 17 state universities but also with the semi-government universities such as SLIIT, CINEC, NSBM and nine degree awarding institutions.
