It has been over 2 months since the lecturers’ initiative to go on a token strike demanding remedies for couple of issues which has prevailed for a long time.
I would like to start off this article stating that the writer is politically unbiased. It has been a trend for some time to put the JVP sign on anything that comes as a threat to the popularity of the government. So I am compelled to say that my only intention is to make an awareness that will aid the campaign to bring the university strike to an end. Furthermore I personally resent all three major political parties.
There has been a light discussion in the society about the present situation. But truth be told the majority of the Sri Lankans aren’t aware of the present state of affairs. As students of the Engineering Faculty of the University of Moratuwa we had to endure 2 months of university closure while some media tried to suppress the situation and majority of others turned a blind eye. As one of my colleagues said, the disappointing reality is that if our parents are only familiar with ITN and Rupavahini news they’d still think that there is nothing wrong with the Universities and we are attending lectures merrily. The same goes with the Sunday Observer and Lakbima.
There has been a light discussion in the society about the present situation. But truth be told the majority of the Sri Lankans aren’t aware of the present state of affairs. As students of the Engineering Faculty of the University of Moratuwa we had to endure 2 months of university closure while some media tried to suppress the situation and majority of others turned a blind eye. As one of my colleagues said, the disappointing reality is that if our parents are only familiar with ITN and Rupavahini news they’d still think that there is nothing wrong with the Universities and we are attending lectures merrily. The same goes with the Sunday Observer and Lakbima.
All this time the salary anomalies issue was lurking behind the political arena. But due to civil war even lecturers agreed that they had to make compromises. So at the time they agreed to let go of the issue. But last year Minister S.B. Dissanayake boasted that he would amend salary scales of university lecturers’ upto absurd amounts. They say actions speak louder than words. Obviously he has never heard of that. Though it was viable at the time they somehow managed to avoid the issue. Since the statement was favorable for the government it’s their obligation to see it through.
When everyone is so busy going after statistics I would like to give you an idea about what has really happened to us. It was 26.06.2010 that we first came into this university. So it has been a year and 22 days to this day. When the would-be newcomers are waiting to go to uni, unfortunately so are we. Though it has been a year we have only done a semester worth of studying. Some say that they only grant entrance to the best students of the country, the cream of the crop. Is it fair to the gifted students who are persuing carriers which they are really good at? But who am I to judge? I’m just another engineering student who feels like he doesn’t belong here and has made the wrong carrier choice. Maybe that’s due to the fact that we have been out of the campus than in for the most part of the past year.
The government is meddling not only with the tax payers’ money here but also with the countries future. The utmost investment in a countries future doesn’t lie with its infrastructure; it lies with its human resources. Sadly politicians seem to have neither interest nor concern about the veritable development of this country.
You are so correct in your opinion and I am glad you have expressed it so well as it is important that the readers realize how much the student, to whom all this education is supposed to help, being treated like football by the politicians.
ReplyDeleteSadly there does not seem to be an electoral liability on the part of the Govt for treating students in this way, and until the common man can be made to understand how ridiculous the current system of valuing foul means of earning money over the fair ones, nothing will come out of it.
So it is up to you to change the system which you can, otherwise we will not have a future as our future rests with the young, brightest and best and that is you!!
Atleast you can think of changing your track of carrier choice bro .... how about the final years? like me ..... we are so screwed that we had become time and money wasting of our parents
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is, hang on and don't get discouraged. 2 months after we joined the Engineering faculty in 1998, the NDT-Engineering fighting got worse, and the university was closed throughout 1999. We sat for the first year final exam only in 2000! I was also like you, thinking whether it was a big mistake to join this University, and was really frustrated. To make it worse, even some of my relatives started saying this is why it is a waste to join state Universities. But we hung on. Now, many many years later, we realize the value of the degree from UoM Engineering Faculty. I'm not saying that you must not do anything about this issue, of course this should be resolved ASAP; what I'm saying is, don't give up easily and lose hope.
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