THE CONTROVERSY

SURROUNDING PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Martin Luther King, the leader of t he AfroAmerican Civil Rights movement once said, “Change doesn’t roll on the wheels of inevitability but comes throughcontinuedstruggle."

Private educational institutions and campuses in Sri Lanka operate amid the dawn of change and the resulting controversy. There are opposing views and arguments by advocates on both sides. While some see private univertisies as a blessing to the Sri Lankan economy and to students, others are less optimistic and are gung ho about state institutions being the only means of higher education.

Amid such intense controversy surrounding these institutions and campuses in the country, Professor Kshanika Hirimburegama, the Chairperson of the University Grants Commission (UGC) claimed that non state higher education institutions and campuses broadened the avenues of access for students to education and thereby strengthening the backbone of a country.

“Education is a right of all citizens. Education calls for primary, secondary, post and lifelong learning. Right now, state universities cater to about 15% of students who sit the GCE Advanced Level Examination. Out of some 50,000 university applicants, only about 25,000 are fortunate to gain university entrance. Thus, there is a risk that sufficient professionals will not be produced to meet the future needs of a rapidly developing country,” Prof. Hirimburegamasaid.

She said it was therefore necessary to establish nonstate universities which would function under tight quality assurance and supervision in the country.

“It is often debated that non state universities challenge social justice in the country. However, at present the tough competition faced by students at the GCE A/L exam targeting state university entrance has opened up the trend for ‘tuition classes’. Tuition classes demand huge amounts of money on an annual basis. This makes us question whether the state university entrance is in conformity with social justice,” she added.

Meanwhile, Professor Narada Warnasooriya, the former vice chancellor of Sri Jayawardanepura University echoed Prof. Hirimburegama’s sentiments saying that private higher education institutions and campuses improved the educational opportunities for a large number of deserving students who were deprived of an opportunity because of various rea- sons like affirmative action of the district and disadvantaged by the quota system.

“However, I can’t say that private universities offer a superior quality of education when compared with state universities. Simultaneously, the majority of private universities are clearly inferior in terms of learning environment, teacher quality and stringency of assessment when compared with foreign universities they are affiliated to,” he said.

Prof. Warnasooriya pointed out that the significant superiority of private university students over those at state universities was the competency in English, specially spoken English. He also highlighted the opportunity to save valuable foreign exchange as one of the major advantages of private universities. On the other side of this debate, the Federation of University Teachers’ Association (FUTA) is strictly opposed to private universities.

FUTAPresidentDr.NirmalDevasiri argued that the degrees awarded by Private higher educational institutions and campuses were only by-products of i deal university degrees.

“The main essence of university education is research and generation of knowledge. Mushrooming private higher education institutions and campuses are merely profit-oriented businesses that satisfy the people’s need for purely a qualification that is used as a status symbol,” he said.

Dr. Devasiri said it was not necessary to produce degree holders out of every citizen in the country. He said that job seekers required skills-based training, which was entirely differently from the services provided by academics.

He said many private higher education institutes and campuses were affiliated to universities abroad because they needed proper universities which could certify the degrees they offered.

There is no denying that students are the central focus of the controversy.

Inter University Students Federa- tion (IUSF) President Sanjeewa Bandara argued that private higher education institutes and campuses defied the social right to education.

“Private higher education institutions and campuses charge a lump sum from applicants. Thus, these institutions and campuses have turned out to benefit a select crowd of people called the wealthy middleclass. Therefore, these institutions and campuses violate the equal right to education of every citizen discriminating them on the ground of wealth,” he said. “The main aim of education should be advancing the human civilization and achieving social development. Yet, private higher education institutions and campuses seek profit. Hence, we call them degree shops that injure the well-being of society and the progression of human civilization.”However not all students shared this view. Poorna Jayasundara, astudentstudyingataprivatecampus, revealed that private higher education institutions and campuses were superior in infrastructure when compared with state universities.

“As Private higher education campuses and institutions offer a wide range of educational facilities, learning and teaching processes can be carried out more effectively. At the same time, these institutions and campuses do not encourage political activity thus creating a peaceful environment for students to carry out their studies,” she said. Nataliya Hewage, another student studying at a private campus said the establishment of private universities might reduce the number of students seeking educational opportunities abroad. She said many students who went abroad adopted the western culture defying the aura of a Sri Lankan. She said as such these institutions and campuses would contribute towards the preservation of the Sri Lankan culture.

This issue is not about pleasing one side or the other. It is not about victory for one party and a loss for another. Therefore, in the midst of all the controversy, what is most important is to take a decision which benefits the students upon whose education depends our future.