FUTA Submitted A Comprehensive Framework For Discussion
July 5, 2012
By Colombo Telegraph -
Dr.Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri
Federation of University Teachers’ Associations has submitted their ‘Framework for Discussion on MOU’ to Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga today as a follow up document on the discussion FUTA had with him on the 2nd July 2012 on its demands. Below we produce comprehensive framework FUTA has submitted.
Framework for Discussion on MOU
Federation of University Teachers’ Associations
Sir Lanka
1 Preamble
The idea of Education is central to the continuation and preservation of human society, materially as well as culturally. Education enables and sustains civilisations and promotes humanism. In modern times, education has been recognized as a fundamental human right. It is now universally accepted fact that everyone has a right to education and education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality (Article 26 – Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948). Education has thus been recognized as a fundamental founding pillar of human society that buttresses and safeguards among other things, democracy, freedom, peace, and sustainable development, and should become accessible to all (World Declaration on Higher Education for the 21st Century, 1998).
In Sri Lanka, public sector education or ‘free education’ as it is commonly known, is a constituent component our state. It is a core value on which the modern Sri Lankan identity has been built. Many of our achievements for which we have won acclaim globally rests on the opportunities provided through public sector education. Over the past six decades, it has been the avenue by which the masses sought and achieved social mobility. Importantly, it was pivotal in bringing about a post-independence renaissance in the fields of learning, art and culture. It has sustained the public administration sector, the health sector, technical and engineering sectors sector through nurturing the human resources that have contributed to the development of these areas and of the country. Future generations of academics, intellectuals, scientists, managers, administrators, public servants, politicians, artists and philosophers inSri Lankawill also largely come from a well-nourished public education system. A civilised and humane society requires all these different people to sustain itself. The threats that the public education system is currently facing need to be addressed immediately ifSri Lankais to progress as a nation.
Political regimes that control the reins of government for a limited and stipulated period of time have no moral right or political mandate to change or alter the nature and attributes of the founding pillars of the state without the express and informed consent of the people of the country who are the real owners of the state and who establish political regimes from time to time.
Universities in this context have a crucial role to play in this mission, particularly to contribute to enabling a sustainable and equitable society. Universities are also sites that encourage free thinking, generate and disseminate new knowledge and ideas and function as centres promoting humanistic ideals, propelling society in new directions. Since universities have a crucial role in this humanising and civilising mission, we believe that it is the duty of the government to give primary value in the higher education sector to State Funded Universities and that it is the role of the government to develop the State Funded Universities sector, and not sacrifice them in the ad hoc promotion of the private sector.
At a time when public universities are at a crossroads, we believe that it is the responsibility of university academics to act as custodians of public universities and higher education. We believe that the struggle to protect the public university system is our paramount duty. History will judge us harshly if we abdicate or neglect this duty at this crucial moment in time.
We believe that the government should take concrete measures to preserve and improve all sectors of publicly funded education including the higher education sector. The government should commit itself to the improvement of public sector education, and allocate a higher portion of the annual budget towards it. At present, annual government expenditure on education and higher education falls far below accepted regional and international guidelines. This in itself, is an indication of the present attitude towards public education.
The government should also quickly and decisively distance itself from initiatives that aim to undermine public education including efforts to privatise education without proper consultation with relevant partners. . The government must consider the views of all stakeholders including the university academic community as represented by the FUTA when considering education policy reforms. The government also needs to refrain from violating existing policy and legal frameworks through arbitrary and disjoined decision making. The University Act of 1978 provides the mechanism for consultation and involvement of academics and the government must at the very least adhere to this legal framework to work together with for the development of the state university system.
