A/L results mess up portrays incompetence  of state authorities says FUTA

January 7, 2012, 6:02 pm , The Island.

The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) expressed deep resent over the crass, undignified, unprofessional and incompetent way the educational authorities have followed in releasing 2011 Advanced Level results.

"It is reported that the results released are highly inconsistent and warped. This clearly portrays the incompetence and ignorance the state authorities have exhibited in releasing the results of the most competitive examination in the country which decides the future of students. The authorities not only made a complete mess by bungling the results, but also made utter ignoramuses of themselves by their uncouthness in the process of amelioration of the issue", FUTA said in a statement last week.

"The authorities are now engaged in a futile effort to cover the mess stating that this sort of minor mistakes have abundantly happened throughout the history. This amply reflects the attitude and concern that education authorities have for the children of this country", it noted.

FUTA highlighted this "unprecedented tragedy" as an example to warn the people of Sri Lanka, that it is the same group of incompetent individuals and chaotically run institutions that are now trying to reform the entire education system in our country keeping all stakeholders including dons in total darkness.

Though all the stakeholders of the higher education system in Sri Lanka have repeatedly been asking for a broad dialogue on the issue of the process of higher education reforms, the above mentioned individuals leading the said institutions have been unyielding to this basic democratic request. This is despite a general agreement between the government and the FUTA that all higher-education related reform processes will involve representation of FUTA", the statement signed by FUTA President, Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri said.

However, we reliably learn that that Quality Assurance Accreditation and Qualification Framework Bill commonly known as Non- State University Bill supposedly governing the establishment and functioning of non-state higher education institutions which has already received the approval of the cabinet will be presented to the Parliament in early January. This is in total contravention to the agreement between FUTA and the government (Ministry of Higher Education and the UGC).

At this juncture, FUTA reasserts that formulation of new reforms should only be performed through a proper dialogue that involves the major stakeholders of higher education. So far, the purported bill has not been seen by most of the stakeholders, including the Vice Chancellors, Deans, and the members of the academic staff of the state-universities. The academia is deeply disturbed and puzzled over the secrecy behind the bill, which putatively aims to enhance the higher education system in Sri Lanka.

"FUTA views the non-consultative process of introducing the aforesaid bill as a blatant violation of trust between academia and the government authorities, and hence will resort to take the maximum possible steps to preserve the dignity of all the stakeholders of higher education, while preserving the education system in the country".