Looks like JVP has come out of its prolonged hibernation. New posters are plastered all over the city, ostensibly by so called ‘Inter University Student Federation’ but don’t we know better?
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‘Rata pura upadhi kada vasa damanu!’ they say. No kidding. They want to stop all ‘boutiques that sell degrees’. Will the opposers get the same treatment vice chancellors Prof. Stanley Wijesundera and Prof. Patuwathawithana got? Dunno. On the brighter side, this is better than demanding to stop all those boutiques selling lunch packets. Otherwise, we would starve.
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So why this sudden interest? Has JVP suddenly discovered that somebody selling degrees on the road side as one would sell string hoppers? Or is this the (n+1)th new phase of their age old battle against the private investments in the education sector?
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Bulk of JVP MPs (except a handful like Sunil Handunnetthi) have never seen a university lecture room, unless they have dropped in when raining. Lots of them are O/L dropouts who could not complete their education. They are ‘ata-pass’ only because there was no examination at Grade 8. So one would wonder why these good gentlemen have such a keen interest in university education.Â
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Anyway, these are few other questions that come to the mind of anyone. Publishing them here does not mean anybody expect JVP to answer them.
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o      Why this protest only against ‘selling tertiary education’? Why not demand all ‘boutiques that sell education’ (be it school education, diplomas, vocational training etc) be closed? Doesn’t JVP know that more than 75% of the school children in Sri Lanka now attend private tuition classes?
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o      What is wrong in private investments in education when it is clear the state cannot provide quality university education to all the students that rightly deserve it?
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o      If JVP wants the degree boutiques (upaadhi kada) to be closed, what do they want upaadhi dan-sel, the service sector version of what we see for vesak and poson? What guarantee JVP has on the quality of the education provided by these upaadhi dan-sels?
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o      When they formed the ‘sandhaanaya’ government with the PA in 2004, JVP promised the people of this country (by their ‘rata perata’ manifesto) that they would uplift the university education and especially start new six universities. May we ask what happened to these six universities? Did bahiravaya ate them all?
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o      What right JVP and opposition political party, to demand to stop any legitimate and ethical business run by somebody? Will they tomorrow demand all boutiques that see lunch packets to be closed?
(Contributed by a guest writer. Open for discussion) next best thing the free download
86 Comments
Gajaba
TUK TUK IDIOT,
You said: “You ask: DO you approve TAXING at all? Not many people like taxing, but it is inevitable. I prefer governments taxing firms rather than students.”
IDIOT, whether you like it or not, all countries do TAXING. 🙂 So, don’t WHINGE about public universities finding extra funds from private intake. University of Colombo and University of Moratuwa are success stories of this approach. These universities conduct so many private courses and the extra funds they receive are spent back on the university and academics. The benefit is enjoyed by BOTH POOR and RICH.
You said: “I am a capitalist, so in future if you want to learn from me please pay be beforehand.”
That is very good. Please find more hires and do what you know. Don’t talk about education reforms; you know nothing about it.
Gajaba
Setting up private hospitals created a TWO-TIERED system where the rich gets the top rated medical care while the poor gets the second-rated care.
If private universities are established, the same happens to the poor students, leaving them with second rated education. The BIG danger is that this in turn limits their avenues for success creating vicious cycle.
For example, a the children of the TUK-TUK driver cannot afford to enter the top private universities. This makes them get the second rated education, making them nothing other than TUK-TUK drivers. This is a vicious cycle we must break to come out of the poverty.
It is paramount that we safeguard the public university system in Sri Lanka so that even the poorest has the opportunity to receive top class education and come out of the poverty. Accepting a limited private intake to public universities has tried and successful approach and is practiced around the world.
JustMal
The problem, Gajaba, is that we already have private universities. Many of them unaccredited, unregulated, possibly substandard – but private nevertheless. There are many institutions affiliated with foreign universities that provide Bachelors degrees and many ordinary middle class people whose children cannot get admitted to state universities due to the district quota system, pay their hard-earned money to educate their children in these places.
I see that you agree with me on the part privatisation of state unis. But that, as Tuk Tuk points out, is only a half measure solution. It is impossible to shut down all the existing private schools that offer foreign degrees. It is general Sri Lankan practice to ignore what we don’t want to deal with, so we do nothing and clamour on about the sanctity of free education.
Socialism has done nothing good to Sri Lanka. If anything, it has instilled an obnoxious sense of entitlement in many Sri Lankans and we expect the government to take care of everything – including educating us, giving us jobs and not increasing the price of petrol in accordance with global fluctuations. The JVP cleverly uses this mindset to rally on the Jeppa army. As we speak, there are dozens of Tharuna-Aruna graduates on a hunger strike in front of Isurupaya asking for jobs from the government.
This is a structural problem in Sri Lanka. Not meeting it head on will only perpetuate the whingeing. I remember having this same argument with my father when I was about 10 years old, and he only said that I don’t know about the real poor in Sri Lanka. We in Colombo are privileged. The real poor live in the villages, and a free education is the only way for them to break free of the poverty cycle.
I, as you, would not think the destruction of free education as progress. But the fact remains that it’s practically impossible to provide a quality tertiary education free of charge to all students. There is a great demand for private education and these unregulated, unaccredited institutions are already catering to that market. The only real solution is to formally recognise them, bring them up to the standards, and let them compete with state universities.
The response to private courses in state universities haven’t been as warm as you suggest. There have been instances of student-nurses even being beaten up by Jeppas in a university in the South for taking part in a fee paying course.
There are many students in state universities whose parents can actually afford to pay for their education. This is particularly true for medical and law faculties. So why not make them pay up? In my opinion, the free places for degree courses in state universities should only be offered to the poorest and most competent students, and there should be at least several times more fee-paying students in those courses. This is broader than simply having a few private diploma courses so that they can afford to pay for the lecturers.
Let’s not ignore the purple elephant in the room. Private universities already exist. No amount of chest thumping by IUSF is going to convince the government to shut them down. Look at the number of students who study medicine in former Soviet countries. Wouldn’t it be better for everyone if they could study in a private medical school in Sri Lanka with better standards and at a lower cost?
Gajaba
JustMal,
You said: “In my opinion, the free places for degree courses in state universities should only be offered to the poorest and most competent students, and there should be at least several times more fee-paying students in those courses.”
Majority of Sri Lankans being poor, there is no way a quality education is provided for them if we aim to collect all the expenses from students. This is even true for developed nations. That is why they make substantial financial assistance available.
You must know that A$50,000 for a university degree SHOULD NOT not be a big deal for an average Australian because even doing a part time job, one can earn that amount in two years. What is more, Sri Lankans students who study in Australia find their full tuition fee and living expenses by doing part time jobs. So, for an Australian paying SUBSIDIESED local fees, it should not be a problem at all.
BUT, the Australian government makes available HECS and PELS and even give youth allowance to EVERY STUDENT. They want to ensure even the poorest can afford to get quality education.
So, there is no justification to the over simplified capitialist thought that “Go to hell with the poor, we want private universities”.
JustMal
You’ve got the point. Sri Lanka is a poor developing country. We cannot afford to provide a free education to all the poor students who think they deserve one. So let’s compromise and select only the smartest. But that doesn’t mean all the fee paying students have to be as competent. Life is unfair – everyone can’t get a free lunch just because they are hungry.
It is a big deal for most Australians after paying taxes, mortgage and car loan repayments. The Australian education system is practically dependent on full fee paying overseas students. Ours doesn’t have a similar source of income, hence the problem.
You keep on ignoring the purple elephant. Unless you burn them all down, there’s no way you can get rid of all the existing private colleges. The next best thing is to legally recognise them and have the UGC regulate them.
As someone else said on the Isurupaya thread, the standard of education in state universities is so bad that no one wants to employ them. Is this what you want for your “poor” students?
Gajaba
(ctd)
It is true that private universities now exists. It is too early to feel their impact on the public universities. I can remind you that a few of my batch mates at University of Moratuwa joined private universities as lecturers turning down offers from the public universities because private universities offer higher salaries. The effect of this trend will not be felt for decades. When we start feeling it, it will be too late. Duds will be left at public universities. The majority poor students will have to learn from these while a minority rich students will get a quality service from private universities.
You must be aware that all public universities in Australia have a private student intake. This is not a “patch” solution, but a working solution. While the federal and state governments allocate funds to the public universities, universities are encouraged to raise funds by taking private students. I guess you were one of those ‘international students’ who paid the higher fees and SUBSIDIZED the education of Australian students.
Gajaba
JustMal,
You said: “The Australian education system is practically dependent on full fee paying overseas students.”
So, what you accept is, even a DEVELOPED COUNTRY like Australia SUBSIDISES university education for the benefit of the local students.
Gajaba
JUSTMAL,
You said “Sri Lanka is a poor developing country. We cannot afford to provide a free education to all the poor students who think they deserve one.”.
THIS IS COMPLETELY WRONG. The fundamental reason the government provide free education even to the poorest because we want to break the vicious cycle of poverty. The EDUCATION is their only way they can get out of the poverty. The unfortunate reality of our country is that vast majority of us are poor. You see how people complain about bread being expensive? Do you think these people can afford to pay university fees, if universities start charging them a fee?
If an average Australian find it hard to pay university fees, how can the vast majority of poor Sri Lankans who cannot even afford the price hike in bread can afford to pay university fees?
The only hope these people have to get out of the poverty is to get quality education but they are unable to pay for it. This is why public universities should accept a private intake and use this extra funds to develop the university system, so that even the poorest has the option receive the highest quality education if they are smart enough.
JustMal
Australia has more private universities than public ones. They are moving towards further privatisation, not the other way back.
It also has an annual budget surplus, which we don’t.
Isn’t it better that students whose parents work hard and earn money get a better education as opposed to only the rural poor getting a substandard one? This is the reality. Many of these students would be better off if they didn’t go to uni anyway. How many of their friends who couldn’t get admission to state unis are begging the government for jobs?
I don’t see how only duds would be left in state unis if they could afford to pay competitive salaries to academics with the money obtained from fee paying students. Private institutions do not have the prestige of the established state universities. If they can pay the same salary, I don’t see why anyone would want to leave.
It’s a good thing that you could at least compromise. Most Jeppas will not, hence the attacks on nurses and such.
Gajaba
JustMail,
You said: “I don’t see how only duds would be left in state unis if they could afford to pay competitive salaries to academics with the money obtained from fee paying students.”
You are confused with two postulates. If there is a fee paying student intake apart from the general free intake, there will not be a problem. However, if everyone is asked to pay a fee, the poor will be left out of the system. This creates the vicious cycle of poverty.
Do you realise that only duds are left in public service while the best is serving in the private industry? Why? Private industry pays betters and obviously the best join the private industry, leaving duds in the public service. This is true not only in Sri Lanka, but even in most developed countries.
Is this a big problem? No. Why? This does not result in the vicious cycle of poverty. This does not close the doors for the poor to become successful.
Just like the duds are left in the public service, duds will be left in public universities, if private universities are established.
How to counter this? Public universities have to accept private students just like the system practiced in many other countries. So, even the rich can pay and get a quality education while the poor, if smart enough, can get the same top quality education free. Everyone is a winner.
You said: “Private institutions do not have the prestige of the established state universities. If they can pay the same salary, I don’t see why anyone would want to leave.”
Public universities have a prestige now because they have good staff and get good students. If private universities operate for a period of time, they will acquire quality academics from public universities. Then the prestige is with private universities. Understand?
Gajaba
JustMal,
You said “It’s a good thing that you could at least compromise. Most Jeppas will not, hence the attacks on nurses and such”
If JVP is a problem to education, LTTE is even worse problem. JVP only oppose privatisation. LTTE not only kills and recruit students but intimidate and assassinate university lecturers. So, if you have a problem with JVP, you should have even bigger problem with the LTTE.
But this is not a forum to bash JVP or LTTE or UNP or SLFP. We are here to discuss viable reforms. Unfortunately, the author of this article seems to have some personal issues with the JVP that s/he solely concentrated on “Bashing JVP” which has no useful purpose.
JustMal
You’ve missed my point. I’m with you on the liberalisation of state unis as a partial solution. But that doesn’t justify not allowing any wholly private colleges or universities. Ideally, there should be state unis with free and fee paying places, and private ones with no free places. The public universities will have government funding in addition to students’ fees, so they shouldn’t have a problem retaining quality staff and competing for fresh talent.
“The effect of this trend will not be felt for decades. When we start feeling it, it will be too late. Duds will be left at public universities. The majority poor students will have to learn from these while a minority rich students will get a quality service from private universities.”
“Public universities have a prestige now because they have good staff and get good students. If private universities operate for a period of time, they will acquire quality academics from public universities. Then the prestige is with private universities. Understand?”
The issues you point out will certainly arise, but that will take decades. By then, with luck, we will be a developed country and the government will be in a position to pay for the poor students’ education in private universities like Australia does. Like in Australia, the repayments will be withheld from their paychecks once they are employed. What is the need for free public universities then if the poor students could get grants and loans from the government to study in private unis anyway?
Whatever its faults may be, the LTTE is no longer anti-Capitalist. JVP still is.
Gajaba
JustMal,
You said: “The issues you point out will certainly arise, but that will take decades. ”
Unfortunately, we have not seen this success story in healthcare being privatised. The POOR cannot afford to be treated in a top quality private hospital.
When private universities are established, the same happens to the poor students, who are the VAST MAJORITY. What is the nett outcome? The POOR realises that they are a part of a vicious cycle. They will realise that the top quality university education and the top quality jobs are reserved for the RICH, while the POOR will have to satisfy with second rated healthcare, education and jobs.
IT IS THIS SITUATION THAT IS THE BREEDING GROUND FOR THE JVP. The JVP capitalises on this unsatisfaction of the vast majority of poor. The JVP proves to the POOR that the RICH always gets the best service due to their wealth, ensuring the POOR can never rise above.
Currently, this does NOT happen because the vast majority of poor students, if smart enough, have the opportunity get into the top universities and become successful. This is amply evident in top universities (eg. UoM, UoC, UoP Medical, UJP Management faculties). JVP enjoyes no support in these faculties. Why? Eventhough there are poor students in these faculties, they know they get the best education and can become successful soon. Now, if you want to close that opportnity by letting these universities ‘second rated’ and making their life difficult, guess which political party they will be supporting next!
You said: “By then, with luck, we will be a developed country and the government will be in a position to pay for the poor students’ education in private universities like Australia does.”
This is a step that has to be taken AFTER we have developed to the level of Australia, not before.
I also would like to remind you another classic example from Australia, so that you can UNDERSTAND that even the CAPITALIST countries ensure the social equity by restricting the freedom of the rich. Have you heard of the NRL and AFL *SALARY CAP* system?
In short, to prevent RICH clubs getting all the good players by paying more, sports authorities have made compulsory salary restrictions, so that even poor clubs can buy good players. Read this from Wikipedia.
“Several sports leagues have made salary caps mandatory, both as a method of keeping overall costs down, and in order to balance the league so a WEALTHY TEAM CANNOT BECOME DOMINANT SIMPLY BY BUYING ALL THE TOP PLAYERS. ”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salary_cap
Get this example crystal clear. These countries are masters of CAPITALISM and FREE MARKET. Yet, they take these drastic steps to ensure that even the poor get the top quality service. If this happens in Sri Lanka, you will surely blame on the JVP, won’t you? 🙂 You will surely blame JVP for not understanding the FREE MARKET!
Gajaba
JustMal,
You said: “Whatever its faults may be, the LTTE is no longer anti-Capitalist. JVP still is. ”
So, what your point? Damage LTTE is causing to the education is less signigicant? LTTE has killed so many university lecturers and continuing. LTTE has abudcted so many universities and still doing so. It is not only few “nurses” that LTTE attacked; rather, LTTE has beeb killing and abducting university sttdents and academics for years. LTTE uses Jaffna university to wage its terrorism.
So mister, if you criticise the damage caused by the JVP, LTTE is much much worse. But I see no complaint against the LTTE. In fact, you think LTTE is better than JVP because LTTE is not anti-capatalist! Is your agenda to promote education or to capitalism? 🙂 Well, this is a forum to promote education, so that everone, including the vast majority of the poor, get the top education
Do we want anymore evidence to realised that this is merely a JVP bashing exercise than finding better ways to improve the education?
JustMal
If the poor want better healthcare, education, food and clothes, they should try to work hard and become rich – not blame the government. As I said, while these graduates have to beg the government for jobs, their degree-less friends and schoolmates are probably self employed or working for someone else and earning more money than they ever will.
Since you still don’t seem to understand my proposal, let me simply it for your benefit. I wonder which school you went to. Laugh.
* Public universities will have free places for poor students and a lot more private students.
* Private universities will only have fee paying students.
* Because public universities will have government funding in addition to fees from private students, they will be able to afford better academics, facilities and so on.
* That way, the poor students will still be able to get a quality education at no cost.
* In Melbourne, no private college can compete with public universities such as Melbourne, Monash and Deakin.
* In time, private universities will build up prestige, wealth etc and will come up to the same standard as public ones.
* By then – and this process will take decades as you have conceded – Sri Lanka would be in a position to pay for poor students to study in private universities.
* There would be no need for public universities at all.
I didn’t know that LTTE has abducted a whole university. That is indeed cause for concern if it is true.
Australia is rich enough to afford these socialist luxuries. All these first world countries developed because of unrestrained free market capitalism. Welfare comes after the development phase.
Tuk Tuk Driver
I think from the verbal barrage of Gajaba (I have not intention of getting into debate with people like this) he is totally unaware of the realityies in the market place.
He thinks;
(a) The state can provide ‘pin buth’ education to all (which no other country does)
(b) Sri Lanka has (like USA, UK, Australia etc) a highly developed industrialised sector that can subsidise ‘pin buth education’
(c) Education to all can be provided from temporary half measures like leaving state universities to intake students for free
Gajaba is a good example for the backward negative thinking of JVP. I think he has some sort of degree (obviously from a local university, anybody who studied abroad cannot be that stupid) but does not know even the basics and go on presenting his stupid thinking.
It is also clear what he does not know;
(a) Private universities have never resulted in expanding the rich-poor gap (There is no empirical data and this is only the thinking of the frogs in the JVP well)
(b) Market economy is a reality of today’s society
(c) What we today needs are reforms of larger scale and not ‘kirala moodi’ solutions
Just like a typical jeppa he gets very emotional and easily neglects the facts.
I do not blame Gajaba. I blame the education system. It is this low quality ‘pin buth’ education system like ours that produce stupid people like him.
Tuk Tuk Driver
One more clarification.
I have fundamentally nothing against state universities making a private intake.
As I have pointed out that too is a form of private investments in education.
However, there are two (minor?) differences in this model.
(a) It is a cross subsidy. ‘Private’ students subsidise ‘public’ students. (I think taxing students in this way is not fair. Why should one student be taxed and the other is not? Only JVP can think of such illogical situations)
(b) It has its own limitations in numbers. We cannot address all the issues in education in this ‘patch’ solutions.
So there is no big harm continuing this practice but education reforms at larger scale is a must.
Gajaba
JustMal,
* I do understand your proposal to enact private universities as well as private intake to public universities. THIS SHOULD ONLY BE DONE once the private intake to public universities are formalised and put into practice successfully.
* Australian public universities can compete with private universities because they get vast amount of public funds from goverments. Can Sri Lankan goverment provide that level of funds?
Q) Are Sri Lankan private hospitals are as good as public hospitals? the same goes for public universities when private universities are enacted.
Gajaba
TUK-TUK,
[It is a cross subsidy. ‘Private’ students subsidise ‘public’ students. (I think taxing students in this way is not fair. Why should one student be taxed and the other is not? Only JVP can think of such illogical situations)]
You are a born idiot who cannot understand that the whole TAX system ALL the countries practice must be ILLOGICAL. Those who work hard and earn more pay higher tax, which in turn goes to subsidise the poor ALL AROUND THE WORLD. Perhaps, according to your tunnel vision, the whole world is illogical – you are the smart man!
IDIOT, why the hell Capitalist USA, Europe and Australia give farm susbsidies? Isn’t this ILLOGICAL? May be, they are not as smart as your are?
Gong harako, all around the world, the income taxed from the rich is spent in the poor so that the whole society benefits overall. You must be a burnt out light who cannot never understand this.
Tuk Tuk Driver
Gajaba,
I can educate you, but are you willing to pay?
If not do not expect me to give you free lessons. Go to a ‘pin buth’ university and learn.
Tuk Tuk Driver
It is not normal for me, but I engaged in such a long debate with this individual called Gajaba for two good reasons.
First, he acted as an exact specimen of a ‘jeppa’ – stupid, frog in the well thinking, ‘patch’ solutions, calling names etc. (He has an interesting vocabulary, probably picked up from his parents) So it was a good opportunity to illustrate a ‘jeppa’ to others. Now we know the type of people we have to deal with in this issue.
Secondly, this man is also a good illustration how badly our education system needs reforms. He shows his complete ignorance of the market system, subsidies and reforms. (And thinks he does) Do we need any better examples to convince that we need to improve the education system of this country?
We should thank Gajaba for providing these opportunities.
Gajaba
TUKTUK,
I did not have any sinister motives to contradict yourself and make fun of you; but you amply proved you are nothing but a FROG IN THE WELL. You have no knowledge in what is happening around the world. Your TUK-TUK is the world to you.
It is quite funny to contradict your “Subsidy is illogical” by taking examples from the leading capitalist countries around the world like USA, Europe and Australia. Are you still thinking USA, Europe and Australia are not as smart as you are? These countries, eventhought the leaders of capitalism, still allocate substantial subsidies to the farmers. You being a FRONG IN THE WELL, has never heard of such a thing and talk like a complete idiot saying “SUBSIDY IS NOT FAIR AND ILLOGICAL”.
Thank you TUK-TUK Driver – you showed how uneducated you are. 🙂
Gajaba
TUK-TUK,
One does not to put any effort make fun of you; you yourself provide ample evidence to show that your statements contradict yourself.
Just take look at how you contradict yourself.
From Message 67:
QUOTE-1: “I have fundamentally nothing against state universities making a private intake.”
QUOTE-2: “It is a cross subsidy. ‘Private’ students subsidise ‘public’ students. (I think taxing students in this way is not fair. Why should one student be taxed and the other is not? ONLY JVP CAN THINK OF SUCH ILLOGICAL SITUATIONS)”
First you say you have NOTHING AGAINST a private intake to public universities.
Then you say this is wrong and you you yourself are illogical as a JVPer!! 🙂
IDIOT, if this so *wrong* and *unfair* as you say, how come you have fundamentally nothing against such an UNFAIR and ILLOGICAL system? 🙂 What a contradiction!
Mister, at least accept this now. You are none other than the author of this article. You know nothing about education reforms or how education is handled in other countries. All your know is illogical JVP bashing, which has no use in a non-political forum like this. All of your messages showes onething – you have personal issues with JVP. Go find somewhere else. This is not a place to satisfy your cheap political issues.
Now that you poor article has been torn into smithereens, don’t get upset. Study more and one day you can write a useful article. 🙂
JustMal
I think mine is the least radical proposal.
Gajaba: It’s not pragmatic to shut down all the existing private unis until public universities are fully restructured. I’m glad that you agree with me on some points. The most pragmatic solution is to bring the private unis under the perview of UGC and make sure that they adhere to proper standards.
Tuktuk: I’m not a fan of welfare or “pinbuth” either, but for the time being I don’t think it’s possible to completely scrap the existing mechanism just like that. As Gajaba says, JVP and the likes would use this to mobilise the Jeppa masses to wreak havoc. So perhaps we should promote private unis and gradually privatise public unis while still allowing some degree of cross subsidisation as a compromise. In time, this could be totally done away with when the government would be in a position to grant loans to eligible poor students who would pay them back with interest after they get jobs. Then there would be no “pinbuth” at all.
We really need to change the attitude of these people. We must fight back instead of giving in whenever they go on hunger strikes asking for free this or that. Socialism has rotted this society to the core.
Gajaba
JustMal,
Prevention of private universities until public universities are strengthened to be able to compete with them is neither anti-free-market nor anti-capitalist nor pro-JVP.
I take the example of “Salary Cap” system practised in USA, UK and Australia. Isn’t this practice ANTI-FREE MARKET & ANTI-CAPITALIST?
In a FREE MARKET, players should be able to negotiate their salaries with rich/poor clubs. The Demand-and-supply will determine the price. Isn’t it?
Then, why on earth these authorities in pro-capitalist, pro-free-market nations intervene and enforce salary limits on players, preventing them earning more? 🙂 Is this anti-FREE MARKET? Don’t they understand the concept of FREE-MARKET? 🙂
JustMal, All these PRO-CAPITALIST, PRO-FREE MARKET, nations value the social fairness. This is what they say about the social fairness:
“….IN ORDER TO BALANCE THE LEAGUE SO A WEALTHY TEAM CANNOT BECOME DOMINANT SIMPLY BY BUYING ALL THE TOP PLAYERS.”
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salary_cap
Get this very clear. These authorities cannot provide SUBSIDIES to poor clubs to buy good players. Therefore, they enforce artificial salary limitations, so that even poor clubs have a FAIR GO.
The same concept applies to Sri Lankan public universities. If the government is unable to provide sufficient funds to the public universities so that they can have a FAIR GO and compete against private universities, the only other option is to artificially restrict private universities. This is not being anti-free-market nor pro-JVP. If you level that allegations, keep in mind that USA, UK and Australia are pro-JVP by the same standard.
Sri
There is nothing to debate. If somebody wants to be a doctor and has money to pay the government should give me the opportunity. If not government is denying the right to study.
This is what Singala government did to me. I got enough marks to enter the medical
faculty but I was prevented from that because the government wanted to give that opportunity to some stupid Singala kids, who scored less than myself. This is all what standardisation was for. To stop the bright Tamils entering universities so that they gain knowledge and take the opportunities the Singalese government wants to reserve for Singala kids.
That is ‘free education’ according to Singalese. Pure discrimination of Tamils.
But don not worry, as soon as the Tamil Eelam is established every student will have the opportunity to study. We Tamils know the value of education and we do not stop anybody forcefully like the Singala government.
Weerawansa
Mokada sahodaraya janatha dhrohee katha karanne?
Ape satanata sahayogaya denavada, nethnam api 1988 di wage podi thundu kellak evanda da?
JustMal
Piss off Sri. Go tell your life’s story to someone who cares. Haha..
Anyway Gajaba, as I said, Salary caps are not standard practice in any of these countries. They are only used in exceptional situations. With AFL, the industry suffered when a few rich clubs dominated and the fans lost interest. I assume that’s why this law was brought in. If salary caps are imposed in Sri Lankan universities, why would any worthy academic stay in the country? What do you propose we do then, prevent them from emigrating? Subsidies, welfare and social justice are luxuries that these rich developed countries can afford – and we cannot. It’s not our fault that these people continue to be poor and dependent on the government. Why should we feed, clothe and educate them? Aren’t we going against the laws of nature by preventing the natural selection of the fit and able?
If private institutions cannot provide an education comparable to the standards of foreign universities owing to the sort of restrictions you propose, what would stop anyone from sending their children overseas anyway? Perhaps you want to stop that as well.
The reason these people are stuck in poverty is because there is no incentive for them to get out of it as long as we provide everything free for them. Starve the bastards, and then they will wake up.
Coordinator
Prevention of private universities until public universities are strengthened to be able to compete with them??????
Gajaba, wake up man, central planning went out of fashion way back even before you were born even.
Secondly, who are these people who are going to sit in the middle and strengthen the universities? Look around. Look at the vice Chancellors, Deans and the various categories of non-academic staff, the members of UGC. These people can’t keep to a time-table in the universities. There is no discipline. They don’t take the hard decisions. They deliver sub standard products as graduates and they have no shame. They keep collecting their paychecks. There is no chance in hell that these people can turn around anything unless they get some competition.
Opportunities to education means opportunities pure and simple. Don’t get hung up on the provider or try to perpetuate a rotted system. The government in this country has proven over and over that is not capable of providing services to people. It is not only that. The government is the biggest exploiter of people.
Gajaba
JustMal,
You said: “Anyway Gajaba, as I said, Salary caps are not standard practice in any of these countries. They are only used in exceptional situations.”
That is right. They are rich and education is not an exceptional situation for them. On the other hand, vast majority of us are poor, who cannot even absorb the price hike in bread, let alone paying university fees. So, education is an exception to us, this we need a step like above.
You said, “With AFL, the industry suffered when a few rich clubs dominated and the fans lost interest. I assume that’s why this law was brought in.”
This assumption is WRONG. Fans would lose interest if there is ONLY ONE or TWO RICH clubs, while all others are poor and have poor players. The reality is half of the clubs are very rich while the other half are not. In order to give EVERYONE a FAIR GO, they made a salary cap. Did you see anyone blaming these authorities “anti-free-market” or pro-JVP? 🙂
Food and farming subsidies may be incentives to stay in poverty, but free education is not. Top class free education is an incentive get out of the poverty. We see tens of thousands of poor children coming out of poverty, thanks to the top class free education given by public universities. (If some university students are unemployed and agitated, it is not a problem of free-education but a problem of out dated syllabus. The fix for this is to update the courses to reflect todays economy, not setting up private universities).
“Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime”
“Top class free education” is the only way we can “Teach a man to fish” so that he can feed himself for a lifetime. If this results in preventing private universities for sometime, so be it.
Somawansa
I do not know about universities. Never been to one, even when it is raining.
So I speak about brothels. My sister owns one. I used to visit there once or twice per week – before the raid, so I know how it works.
I suggest it is the duty of the government to encourage public brothels. No private brothels. They charge high. So only the rich can visit private prothels. Not poor. If there are no public brothels how come the poor get a fukc? It will further expand the gap between rich and poor. It will also result in the experience sex professionals (aka known as whores, prostitutes, sluts – sorry pardon my language) working in public brothels moving to private brothels. So the poor get only the unexperuenced workrs perhaps with STDs. The difference is just like the one between Nawaloka hospital and Kebithigollawa hospital. We cannot let that happen and let down the poor. Mr. Gajaba is correect.
So we should prevent the government letting private brothels open till public brothels are supported by government and financially strong enough. Of course if we want we can take a private intake to public brothels as suggested by Mr. Gajaba. It will help btoth rich and poor.
That is how they do it in USA, UK, New Zealand, Australia, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. In any of these places the poor get fukc for free.
Mr. Gajaba is very intelligent. He should be careful when he sits because that might damage his brains. We all should listen to listen to him. He also knows to how to fish.
“Give a woman a fukc; you have entertained her for today. Teach a woman to fukc; and you have fed her for a lifetimeâ€
I totally agree with Mr. Gajaba on the above.
If this results in preventing private brothels for sometime, so be it. (Since my sister has closed her place now it does not matter.)
P.S. By the way, I am grateful to the web master for putting a nice pic of me there.
Weerawansa
Somawansa sahodaraya,
Well said. Only poor should be given the right to study. Not rich.
Gajaba sahodaraya is so right. He should be made the Vice Chancellor of Peradeniya University.
Down with Private universities. Only over our dead bodies. However, even if they open another ten public universities that is of no use to us because we will never get enough pass marks to enter. 🙁
Gajaba sahodaraya, ohoma yan. ohoma yan. Kiyandako monawa hari.
Yushan Naleendra Thiyuwah
JVP is a curse.
They should be starved to death.
Otherwise, tyre treatment like in 1989 should solve the problem.
Yushan Naleendra Hannadi
JVP is a curse.
I learned in CIMA class that tyres are public goods.
Tyre treatment like in 1989 should shut them up. 🙂
Non political academic
Interesting discussion.
Private intake into public universities vs. Public intake into private universities. (vouchers) etc. I do not think a consumer (student, parent) would see any difference, so as far as they are concerned there is no debate at all.
It needs not be this or that. Both models can be used in parallel.
YAKA
Gajaba sahodaraya needs private cources tobe opened in public universities. But for his little,brain washed mind he couldnt understand the current situation in local universities and that reflect most of the local uni student are just theory dumpers. Ill explain the situation i the simpliest way i can. otherwise u wont understand anything.
currently all our public uni are running with full capasity. that means lecture hall r fully occupied, and no one can get in with out pulling out some one whos allready studing. SO how come the university facilitate paid student. I dont think in any part of the world a student will volanterly stand up and say..Sir Im rich..so charge from me..also no where in this world students are being openly descriminated based on their financial status..if it s implemented,there willbe two gangs of studends..the rich gang and the poor gang and damned jeppas like you in the poor gang will beat many of the sudens who r in the rich gang…so what im saying is even a local uni can succesfuly undertake vocational qualifications that requires low level of resources, they wont be able to handle separated or integrated bachelors degrees that require some students to pay a fee.
alsoi have to make some corrections…i said most of the local uni students r theory dumpers..but it applies mostly to art and commerce students.
Majority of local students r getting out of the uni as art graduates(mainly becase of the least entry requirements,) and theirs nothing suprised to see them protesting on roads to get a pina job(high supply-low demand,)
In commerce faculties they are learned to hate businesses and are regulerly exposed to damn jvp and other labor union type activities in sidethe uni
Also they learn loads of theoris but they dont learn how to apply them…the funny part is only few of them can remember theoris after the graduation.
Their attitude is being changed and no pvt company wants to recruit that type of people..JVP..yeah v all know it
Finally i have to say JVP is the caus of this war, they r the cause of countries por developmet. and they r the cause of local unis to beregarded as low quality.
YES I hate JVP….Specially somavansa who is manupilating poor weak people agains the country…(his son is studing and uk uni…wonder why he didnt let himstudy in j’pura)
gajaba i dnt expect any replys from u…coz i feel taling with u is useless….any way u can say what ever u want bt dont expect my reply…
එදා බැරි වුනු අධ්යාපන ප්රතිසංස්කරණ අද කරන්න පුළුවන් ඇයි?
එදා බැරි වුනු අධ්යාපන ප්රතිසංස්කරණ අද කරන්න පුළුවන් ඇයි? : 2023-2033 ජාතික අධ්යාපන ප්රතිපත්ති රාමුව පිළිබඳ විශ්ලේෂණයක් by Sujata Gamage 2023 ජූලි මාසයේදී කැබිනට් මණ්ඩලය විසින් ජාතික අධ්යාපන ප්රතිපත්ති රාමුවක් සැකසීම සඳහා ජනාධිපතිවරයාගේ සභාපතිත්වයෙන් පත් කෙරුණු කැබිනට් අනු කමිටුව විසින් අද වන විට එම ජාතික අධ්යාපන ප්රතිපත්ති රාමුව 2023-2033 (හෝ National Education Policy Framework 2023-2033) අධ්යාපනය පිළිබඳ ආංශික අධීක්ෂණ කමිටුවේ හා දෙවනුව සමස්ත පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ විමර්ශනය සඳහා ඉදිරිපත් කොට ඇත.
Proposals to make Sri Lanka’s National Examinations more relevant
[Extracted from the report “A Strategic Plan for the Department of Examination” Prepared by Committee of Experts for Reforming the Department of Examination appointed by the Minister for Education dated December 2017.] The Department of Examination is perhaps the government department with the most impact on society in Sri Lanka.
Strategic Plan for the Department of Examination of Sri Lanka, 2017
Download Plan : Sinhala English A Strategic Plan for the Department of Examination for implementation in 2018-2019 was prepared by Committee of Experts to review examinations and evaluation system and roles and functions of the Department of Examinations to make recommendations for improving the quality and standards of testing and evaluation systems in Sri Lanka appointed by the Secretary for Education by letter dated April 28, 2017. Members of the Committee Ex-officio: Mr.
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