The Protesting Student & What He May Have To Say
Migara Doss
It was just last week that 05 university students including the Convener of the Inter University Students Federation (IUSF)- Lahiru Weerasekara were bailed out by the High Court of Colombo under strict bail conditions. The said order delivered by the High Court released the above students after having been in remand custody for nearly 50 days since their arrest after their purported forcible entry into the Ministry of Health and causing damage to public property thereof. The incident concerning the students is regarding their protest movement against the SAITM university and its medical faculty which allegedly paves way for the admittance of students into the medical profession upon the payment of money, which is argued as resulting in the commodification of education.
As it could be observed the SAITM phenomena has made waves in the local news for quite some time now and has aroused varied reactions from the general public, academics, professionals, students etc. In general there are mixed reactions amongst the public regarding the subject matter and people appear to be perplexed about the whole topic of SAITM and the larger issue of privatizing education. And on a different level some even begin to wonder the irony of prompt action by authorities to arrest and remand student activist who in a sense cause damage and inconvenience to the public under the public property act; whereas elected representatives of the people that have allegations of swindling public money and soliciting expensive bribes which amount to graver offences on public property are permitted to walk scot free after simple commission hearings and resignations. Accordingly this article attempts to discuss some of the popular social views regarding the protesting student, with a view to explain the causes and reasons for student protests in the wake of privatization of education.
With regard to the issue concerning SAITM it is mainly regarding the establishment of the South Asian Institute of Medicine (originally Management) and Technology which began to award a medical degree that enables the obtainment of the M.B.B.S qualification and subsequent entry into the medical profession. The unique feature of SAITM is of that being a private business entity which charges an exuberant amount for its medical qualification. This feature has attracted much criticism and protests by student activist and political parties who cry foul against the same on the basis that such an arrangement of awarding the medical qualification for money paves way for commodification of education and results in inequality and injustice.
Needless to say there are also various social opinions that safeguard and promote SAITM and any other future private educational entities; the reasoning behind such defense guarding SAITM are varied in nature but in a nutshell it is an argument on the freedom of education and broadening of educational provision. This social clash between Anti SAITM activist and SAITM guardians is indeed a thought provoking debate and leads to an advanced social discourse regarding the subject of education and the market economy. Hence it is important to draw some insights into this debate and discuss some of the main arguments leveled against the student/political activists who spearhead the public protest against SAITM. Such a discussion would also serve the purpose of dwelling into the mind of the ruggedly dressed university student that one would often find on the News and sometimes on the public road blocking your way, and would allow you to finally understand his chants that you barely understand on the news on in a heavily congested traffic jam.
