What ails our universities

August 5, 2012, 8:10 pm , the island


Universities in Sri Lanka are very much in the news these days. Here are a few comments on what is happening in the areas of examinations, awarding of classes, favouritism, corruption and gross violation of human rights that most of the academic staff indulge in, resulting in many brilliant scholars leaving Sri Lanka for academic positions in other countries. It is not a secret that most of these teachers are unfair and vindictive towards students who they think would pose a threat to them if they obtain excellent results. This system has been in operation for many, many years and everyone knows how it works. When one goes to a foreign country such as USA, Canada or Australia one comes across students who have passed out from these universities. They begin talking of their experiences and the shameful manner in which most of them have been victimized by the so-called intelligentsia of our own country is indeed amazing. Not surprisingly these young people know the university dons who are really good at this game.

Those who pretend to be paragons of virtue are also in the same gang. Their victims simply vote with their feet, unable to fight back among numerous malpractices that these dons resort to, here is just one. At the final examinations the answer scripts are marked by a lecturer and the rule is for the scripts to be reviewed by a second examiner from a reputed overseas University. However, in the Science Faculty of a university papers are handed over to the department head who places his signature on the marks/ score sheet and never even glances at the scripts. The interesting fact is that this department head has no inkling of the branch of study yet claims a fee for every sheet that he has ‘marked’ as the second examiner. One notorious don gives marks even without marking the script. How ingenious!

I see two glaring flaws in the system prevailing in our SL universities – as against those in the USA and Canada, namely:

1. There is no evaluation of teachers by students, peer group as well as by higher authorities. Thus a lecturer who joins the staff remains there regardless of the quality of teaching imparted to the students. In USA and in Canada – two countries where I am reasonably qualified to talk about, university teachers are evaluated at regular intervals and awarded tenure only if they reach a certain level of proficiency and erudition. I know so many Sri Lankan dons who have not done any worthwhile teaching nor research but ‘existed’ coolly and comfortably in these places to the end of their days. A tenure system should be introduced to weed out the bad eggs.

2. There is no provision for re-scrutiny of answer scripts after examinations, a provision that is available for GCE OL and GCE AL students for payment of a fee. None are infallible – there could be errors in marking; even in addition of marks. It is a violation of human rights not to permit this facility when it is available for school students. This leads to much corruption and malpractices. Who can say that grades are not changed to give undue advantage to some and even lowered for others who are not favourites? Or even awarding grades without marking scripts at all? Who is there to challenge these malpractices? University dons should demonstrate integrity and honesty, be above blame in all their actions.

I hope that the facts mentioned here will serve as constructive ideas to introduce a system of reform in examinations procedure in Sri Lankan universities.

Srima Warusawithana

Canada