Chemical Education Journal (CEJ), Vol. 4, No. 1 /Registration
No. 4-5/Received February 8, 2000.
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The openings available within Sri Lanka's conventional university system are grossly insufficient to cater to the large numbers who are desirous of pursuing tertiary education in Sri Lanka. Despite the commencement of the first University in Sri Lanka as far back as 1942 and the increase in the number of conventional Universities upto 12 at the present time, the enrolment in the conventional university sector amounts to less than 2% of the primary school enrolment. The provision of free education by the state throughout school and in the conventional university system for all students irrespective of income have been very welcome endeavours towards the achievement of equality and equity in educational provision. However, the financial constraints on the state to provide all the necessary funds for expansion in the tertiary sector together with such expansion taking place in an unplanned and non-systematic manner have resulted in a curtailing effect on the imperative need to expand the undergraduate intake to at least 3%, which is the average for developing countries. Government expenditure on higher education has remained virtually constant during the past few years at around 0.4% of GDP which corresponds to 14-15% of the total allocation to the education sector. The National Policy on Higher Education, while recognizing that a significant increase of funds for higher education is not feasible due to current financial constraints, recommended in 1996 an annual increase of 0.05% of GDP so that the allocation for the higher education sector by the year 2001 would be at least 0.6% of the GDP. However, there are no signs whatsoever that even part of such an increase is forthcoming.
Greater social prestige and the potential to obtain more money make many secondary school students aspire for careers such as Medicine or Commerce rather than Chemistry. Over the past 30-40 years, this tendency has to a great extent deprived the sciences (including Chemistry) from drawing on the best talent available among school leavers to pursue tertiary chemical education. However, the welcome and redeeming feature, as far as chemistry is concerned, is the fact that once chosen for a basic science education, the option of many university undergraduates for many years has been to read for an Honours Degree in Chemistry. This, no doubt, is due to the greater employment and career redirectional prospects available for chemistry graduates, who are more widely in demand particularly in the industrial and service sectors. An additional comforting feature is that the centrality and versatility of Chemistry is finding welcome expression in Chemistry graduates accepting employment in apparently unrelated areas such as Banking, Accountancy, Management and Administration. Chemistry as a discipline no doubt provides a well balanced foundation for anyone desirous of diverting to other areas, even though not strictly within the ambit of Chemistry.
The need to provide higher educational opportunities in an alternative/non-conventional manner for those employed, particularly in middle level scientific fields, late developers, others who were unable to pursue higher educational opportunities earlier on in life and school leavers has become increasingly necessary and relevant in modern times. Numerous are the instances where persons given such a second chance have excelled and prove their worth retrospectively. I am happy and privileged to have been actively and positively involved in two such developments geared towards the provision of such opportunities in Chemistry in an innovative and non-conventional manner.
The establishment of the Open University of Sri Lanka in 1980 to cater to adults and the employed provided a very welcome alternative to relieving even partially the tension and pressures within the highly competitive and pressurized conventional university system. The Open University of Sri Lanka has adopted the Open Entry Philosophy and Distance Teaching Methodology to provide, inter alia, education on the Chemical Sciences at the status of the B.Sc., B.Sc. (Joint Major) and B.Ed. (Natural Sciences) degrees, Advanced Certificate in Laboratory Technology and Foundation Levels. These programmes have enabled tertiary level education in Chemistry to be imparted to very large numbers of students over the past 16 years.
The Open University of Sri Lanka is thus a non-conventional university though within the state sector that provides tertiary level education to unlimited numbers. Apart from the distance methodology of teaching adopted and the unlimited numbers that can be accommodated as a result, the OUSL differs from the conventional (government funded) universities in that students are required to pay tuition fees which contribute to about one third of the University Budget. (The balance two-thirds comes from the government). The Open entry philosophy permits students, with or without previous qualifications, to get themselves admitted, without any competition, to an appropriate level of study. Foundation courses provided by the OUSL enable persons who do not have the necessary qualifications to make good the lapse and enable them to be admitted into the degree programme.
Though regular attendance for classes is unnecessary while essential information and knowledge is provided through well prepared student friendly distance study material, attendance at practical classes for a limited number of continuous days is compulsory for the students. Satisfactory performance in continuous assessment throughout the course is essential, unlike in a conventional university, in order to obtain "eligibility" to sit the final examination. Continuous Assessment marks contribute towards the final overall mark. This alternative made of learning at the OUSL gives its students a self-motivating student centred learning approach that enables the production of graduates having independent attitudes and a different approach to solving problems in later life. Those employed in Chemistry related vocations at a middle level are also able to bring their work experiences to their world of learning and study, at their own pace and place without interrupting their employment.
The professional body of Chemists in Sri Lanka, known as the Institute of Chemistry, Ceylon, was established in 1971 as the successor to the then 30 year old Chemical Society of Ceylon for the general advancement of the science and practice of Chemistry. It is both a learned society catering to the Chemical Sciences as well as a professional, qualifying and examining body looking after and responsible for the maintenance and enhancement of the profession of Chemistry in Sri Lanka.
The aims and objectives prescribed in the Act of Incorporation of the Institute include the conduct of examinations for the award of Diplomas, Certificates and other distinctions in such branches of Chemistry as the Institute may deem necessary. The Institute recognised, at its very inception, that the educational aspect should be given very high priority, and lost no time in arranging the conduct of a 18 month course leading to a Laboratory Technicians Certificate Course [1]. The programme has enabled the production of 25 batches of laboratory technicians in support of programmes involving chemical analysis and research. This is the only such course in the basic sciences in Sri Lanka. In 1998, this programme was upgraded to that of a Diploma in Laboratory Technology.
Over 500 qualified technicians have been produced over the past 25 years and are making a distinct contribution to the goal of national development in Sri Lanka.
Almost simultaneous with the conduct of the above mentioned programme, the Institute also recognised the inability of the state sponsored free education system in Sri Lanka to meet all the graduate manpower needed in Chemistry. It was in this context and in an earnest desire to make in a meaningful way a positive contribution towards satisfying a much felt national need and demand that the Institute took a bold step forward in 1979 to organise, sponsor and conduct graduateship courses [2] at a level equivalent to a 4 year Special Honour Degree of a recognised University. This is perhaps an unprecedented and unique example of a professional Institute of Chemistry conducting a programme of this type.
These graduateship programmes have been primarily directed at those employed at middle level such as technicians to better their promotional and career redirectional prospects. Late Developers are also given another opportunity. Those who were unable to awail themselves of openings they had at the end of their secondary school careers are given a repeat opportunity. Simultaneously we were also able to satisfy the desires of many school leavers who could not enter a conventional university.
The Institute's direct involvement in tertiary level chemical education signified a decisive land-mark in Sri Lanka on the one hand and in the life of a professional Institute on the other hand. The programme structured to a fair extent on the model of the Graduateship Examinations conducted by the Royal Society of Chemistry, UK has been conducted without a break for the past 20 years. The course is conducted at weekends in a leading private school making use of its laboratories since the Institute has no permanent buildings of its own.
221 Graduate Chemists have so far qualified and are making a noteworthy contribution to the life of the nation. Such Graduate Chemists obtain automatic exemption from Graduate Membership of the Royal Society of Chemistry, UK and the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. A large number of Graduate Chemists have obtained post-graduate degrees including Ph.D.'s from Universities both in Sri Lanka and abroad. The latest revision of the course content for the programme has resulted in the inclusion of courses from Management, Environmental Chemistry, Chemical Technology & Bio-Technology.
The alternative approaches referred to have enabled tertiary chemical education to be imparted in a non-conventional manner and directed towards the production of persons qualified in the chemical sciences geared to enhancing the national development scenario in Sri Lanka. These approaches have convincingly and conclusively proved how innovative procedures and methods can be employed outside the conventional state sector in order that the national developmental needs of Sri Lanka can be more fully satisfied and realised.
[1] Prospectus of Diploma in Laboratory Technology, Institute of Chemistry, Ceylon, 1999
[2] Prospectus of Graduateship Courses in Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Ceylon, 1999
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CEJ Vol. 4, No. 1, Contents