WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

UNIVERSITIES, KNOWLEDGE HUBS

AND THE MIRACLE OF ASIA

7th August 2012

University of Moratuwa Teachers Association (UMTA)

University academics are protesting, the funding cuts, lack of autonomy, lack of facilities for research, politicization of universities, drop in standards of university entrants etc.

Government says that asking for 6% of GDP cannot be given. They also say these are political agendas. They also say that Sri Lanka will become a knowledge hub and the Miracle of Asia.

The University of Moratuwa Teachers Association presents its view to you. It seeks your attention for the 2 minutes it will take you through the Ten Miracles of Education.

Miracle #1: Sri Lankan Universities produce more graduates with less money!

Miracle #2: SL Universities will lead the creation of a Knowledge Hub by spending less on education every successive year

Miracle #3: SL where % of qualifying students entering universities has remained the same for

20yrs, is to become a knowledge hub

Miracle #4: SL where only 0.05% of GDP is spent on research (ranked below Ethiopia) is to become a global knowledge hub. Moreover, only

less than 1% of university spending is on research (leading universities spend 16%)

Academics are essentially researchers from which they teach students. Deprive them of funds for same and they leave or simply become note givers!

Typical WesternSri Lanka

Miracle #5: SL the knowledge hub where only 2/3rd of academic positions can be filled and of those in service,

only 40% have PhD qualifications.

Academic Cadre Posts Approved (2009) – 7,510Cadre Posts Filled by 31st Dec 2010 – 4,984 ( 66%)

Quiz……..

What proportion of benefits would a senior engineer forego if he/she were to join a university by leaving an industry position in Sri Lanka?

Answer - 2/3rd

(Less pay, No medical, No insurance, No quarters, No transport, No Bonuses, No concessionary loans, No support staff, No direct telephone, Not even scholarships!)

Did you also know that university academics earn just

1/10th of what they can earn at a university abroad. Have you wondered why they stay in Sri Lanka?

Miracle #6: SL, a knowledge hub where universities produce a medical doctor for less than USD 10,000 and an engineering graduate

for less than USD 6000

Miracle #7: SL, a Knowledge Hub where an Internationally accredited Engineering Degree is provided at 1/10th or less of the international cost.

* In Sri Lanka an International Highways cost more to build than elsewhere, where dinner at an international hotels cost as much, where an international sportsmen is paid as much as his counterparts elsewhere. But an international degree is provided at 1/10th the international price.

1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00

Good vocabulary

Trained in timely submission of outputs

Having Good Social values

Good in speed reading

Experienced in using basic office-software

Good speaking and writing in university …

Honestly indicating the member …

Experienced in group work

Conceptually Sound (Subject Basics)

Not Exhausted

Willing to study / Learn

Miracle #8: Where students entering universities after competitive AL exams are found to have poor learning

skills and attitudes but who are still transformed to ‘world class graduates’

0 1 2 3 4

Assessment of Skills and Attitudes Engineering Undergraduates possess at entry -Scale of 4

Miracle #9: SL, a Knowledge Hub that makes the least public investment on education.

Quiz….

How many years does it take for the Payback of the public investment of producing an

Engineering Graduate at a Sri Lankan University?

Three (03) Years!!

Is there a better investment?

Cost of 4 Years of Uni Education – Rs 500,000( @2010 prices)

Monthly value of service with only GCE AL qualifications – Rs 20,000 increasing at say 5% p.a.

Monthly value of service with B.Sc. Eng degree – Rs 50,000 (min) increasing at say 10% p.a.

Return on Investment –

Payback Period – 3 Years

IRR – around 30%

Miracle #10: SL, to show how a Knowledge Hub can be created by Spending less than 2% on education where others countries required 4-6%

India

The World Definition of a Hub is a place which pulls resources (good teachers) and demand (good students)

Sri Lankan Government definition of a Knowledge Hub is where professors and

professionals continue to leave the country in search of better opportunities elsewhere followed by a significant

number of students.

Did you know that by reducing Defence Spending by 4% , university recurrent

spending can be doubled?

2012 Budget Allocations (Rs mn)

Quiz….

How many Engineering graduates could have been produced with the USD 162 million loss from the hedging deal with Standard Chartered Bank?

27,000 (what the country needs for 15 years!)

If it was commercially invested at 12% it would be enough to provide for 4,500 children to enter university annually.

The Next Miracle

From the 1970s, our Politicians allowed a very good school education system to deteriorate to one that is now only exam oriented and tuition class dependent.

Now the next phase of this Miracle is to destroy the existing university system by creating mushrooming ‘universities’ similar to how the tuition culture came to being, where higher education will be restricted mostly to skill development, then commercialized, packaged and sold as degrees to desperate students who are being kept out of proper universities.

So What…?

Ensure State universities are adequately funded so that current staff is retained and encouraged to develop their facilities.

Undertake systematic reforms that will provide all students more access to and choice in higher education while improving quality to meet modern market requirements.

It’s a Civil Society Issue and not just a university staff salary issue. Its about education and the future of Sri Lanka continuing as an educated society.

Thank you.

Spread the message…Save our universities and schools …. Increase

funding…..

Lets target 6% of GDP for education!

University of Moratuwa Teachers Association (UMTA)