The Department of Examinations released the results of the GCE Advanced Level Examination held in August-September 2009. According to the sources about 126,000 students out of a total of 199,000 who sat the G.C.E. Advanced Level examination have qualified for University Entrance. But we have to understand all those who qualified for University entrance will not absorb by the national University system.
According to the University grants commission (UGC) 20,000 students have been enrolled in last year. This is only 17% from the students who are qualified for university admission. The point we have to understand is, this is not the total number of students sat for the examination. The student who is qualified for university entrance, out of 100 only 17 can enter to the university. This is the (sad) story for last decades.
In the last 15 years UGC enroll around 20% of the students who satisfy the minimum requirements for admission.126,000 students got the admission and will tell to their parents, relatives that “I been qualified for university entrance” But only 20,000 might be the actual figure who enter to the varsity. And unfortunately some students got 3 As’ in science have to do the exams again to go to medical college!!! What is the point of doing exam again once you got higher grades for all three subjects? This is same in Engineering, Management as well. This is really a shame in our education system.
I want to address the issue of remaining 100,000 students who got eligible but not get the chance to enter to the national universities because of our resources. Some of them will do the exam again, some do some professional exams like chartered, CIMA and some will be in doubt about their future. And this is similar to the students who did not get the minimum requirement for university admission (199,000-126,000=73,000) .Then what is the point of having this “minimum qualification” if all are finally drop into a same basket??? Technically in Sri Lanka only 10% will absorbed by the state University system!!!!!
We have only state universities control by the central government. (I am not concentrate on other sectors in this article). But Once you analyze other countries they have regional universities, university colleges etc. In sri lanka there should be a system like this.(this is all about sound educational policy).We Can’t blame to the government for all. But government should have mechanism to address this issue. There should be thousands of strategies. One strategy might be the University of Sri Jayewardenepura can start University colleges in other areas to absorb more (with the certain quality requirement levels) students.
Again there should be a partnership with private sector as well. University of Moratuwa can form a partnership with leading garments in Sri Lanka and produce textile graduates targeting to that sector. This is same for arts faculties because still their syllabuses are not go inline with the job market. Not only state universities there should be a space for private universities as well. Especially certain student unions run by certain political parties should understand this as a national problem. because thet are the very people protesting for forming any private universities in Sri Lanka without knowing(or knowing??) that billions of money goes to foreign counties as some goes for education abroad. We should have short term, medium term and log term plan for education.
For a short term we have to study the higher education systems in other countries (like India where some universities having partnerships with companies like TATA etc, University colleges ),Plan for other programs, partnerships with private universities etc..For a medium term there should be a plan of 2-5 years by focusing on expanding the system of universities, technical colleges with line with industry requirements. For a long term (what ever the political party comes into power) we should have program for all students who sit for Ordinary level (not advanced level). Students who fail O/L should absorbed by the technical college.
Thereafter there should be career ladder for all students .There should be a need of change mindsets for all who are in the system. Administrators, academics etc. This system can be seen with more argument, debates .but this is the weakness in the system itself. We have to understand the value of education.
Now the presidential election is round the corner.179, 000 is the number of students who do not physically get into any national university (potential voters??).There should be a responsibility for all candidates to take this matter into consideration. Because this is a national issue which we have to address. There should be a plan to be implemented. These students are our next generation. And all parties should understand the value of education.
Especially we have to understand the value of education in recession. Because people may argued the rationale of producing a graduate in the recession. I would like to quote one article by David Leonhardt on the value of education in recession.
“For anyone who’s wondering whether a college degree is still worth it, The Wall Street Journal had a nice summary of the statistics this weekend:The recession has led to steep job losses across the U.S. work force, but less-educated people have been hit particularly hard.The unemployment rate for workers over 25 years old who haven’t gone beyond high school rose to 10% in May, nearly doubling from 5.2% a year earlier, the government said Friday.
Among workers who haven’t completed high school, the unemployment rate rose to 15.5%, compared with 8.4% last year. By contrast, the jobless rate among those with four-year college degrees was 4.8%, up considerably from 2.3% a year ago, but well below the rate for people with less education. College graduates have definitely been hurt by the current recession. Thousands find themselves out of work, and many of those newly unemployed will struggle to find a job that paid as well as their last one. Still, on a relative basis, a college education has never been more valuable. The pay gap between college graduates and everyone else, for instance, reached a record high last year. Four-year-college graduates made 54 percent more, on average, than people who attended college but did not graduate.
Fifty-four percent! If you’re a college student trying to decide whether to get your degree, I would urge you to remember that number — rather than anecdotes about unemployed college graduates.”(The New York Times, June 08,2009).
By reaching certain milestones are critical in our life. It should be the main part of the country as well. Put the country into first is the lesson we learned form our brave solders in recently concluded war. In education also we can have the same formula. I request from the authorities (and unions) put the country first and find solutions .Take this as a national problem. Take the advice from the people who have wisdom to give.
- Asian Tribune -
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