Chaotic higher education – an opening to totalitarianism

By Elmo Leonard

While politics makes a mockery of higher education, private universities mushroom and higher education becomes a purchasable shop-shelf commodity, university academics vowed yesterday to heighten their campaign against the government.
Dr Mahim Mendis, spokesman for the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) said that their agitation was not due to them, as academics, being duped into accepting a compromise on wage increase, nor because there is day-to-day political interference on how universities are run. In sum, the state-of-affairs prevalent across the wide spectrum of governance is indicative of an emerging iron-hold totalitarian regime.
The brain drain that began decades ago is now heightening, and university academics are finding greener and more pleasant pastures across the seas. The 20 per cent PhD holders among appointed academics was dropping; it is 100 per cent doctoral teachers, the world over, academics said.
While every spectre of the economy is dependent on higher education as in the fields of agriculture, accountancy, engineering, industry, research and development, medicine, and even transportation, the quality of education is dropping.
The mushrooming private or state universities show no transparency towards policy formulation, in legislation. The government has failed to present a White Paper for policy discussion, Dr. Mendis said.
Lack of transparency is a major constraint for good governance, and the government is thus, in toto, undermining the mission of university  education.
Other academics present said that university education is not a mere tutorial. It needs the physical infrastructure for the development and empowerment of youth. It needs to function within an independent environment of students and teachers.
Contrary to the least political interference, there is gross meddling in day-to-day matters of universities.{jcomments on}