Where Is The Academic Integrity?
By R S Pathirana Kaluwella –March 17, 2016
Are the academics using their benefits of country’s free education system in honourable and fair manner?
In 2012, the academics of the state University system in Sri Lanka and FUTA engaged in a long, hard trade union action demanding 6% of the GDP to be allocated for education. Among FUTA’s other demands, stoppage of politicization of Universities, ensuring autonomy of universities etc, are included. These demands, if realized well, are expected to make sure the state funded, free-education based University system in the country could function in its true spirit and intellectual capacity. The noble idea is to protect the free education system introduced & established by the late, great, Kannangara.
Now we are in 2016, and we have amply witnessed that such allocation has only been a demand; a far fetched dream with the present way of handling national education. However, to address grievances at certain level, remuneration of academics were somewhat increased through various allowances added to the salary, but not to the extent of preventing performing academics joining the private sector for better prospects or leaving the country for greener pastures.
This little write up aims to question a recent activity of some academics, that is not so honourable, not like the sort of academic involvement the country (used to) respect, because it has serious conflicts of interests.
One of the privileges the academics and certain administrative categories in the local state University system enjoy is the sabbatical entitlement, where, upon completion of some specific number of years of service, an academic is entitled for one year paid leave to engage in research and other scholarly activities. This in fact, in true spirit, add value to academics’ profession and to the relevant institution, and the state University system provide even the cost of air passage for overseas sabbatical placements, while the host institution pay handsomely for good academics.
