Graduating age in our universities

by Dr B. J. C. Perera

MBBS(Cey), DCH(Cey), DCH(Eng), MD(Paed), MRCP(UK), FRCP(Edin), FRCP(Lon), FRCPCH(UK), FSLCPaed, FCCP, Hony FRCPCH(UK), Hony. FCGP(SL)

Specialist Consultant Paediatrician.

This addendum to the topic of the age of entry to our universities is based on the excellent opinion expressed in The Island of 16-02-2021 by Professor O. A. Ileperuma, titled “Must lower graduating age in universities”. I am ever so grateful to him for comments on my own article on the subject published in The Island on 27-01-2021.

The good and learned professor, an acclaimed expert in his own field, has most definitely hit the nail on the head. He has gone into the root causes of the debacle of advanced age of the university undergraduates. He has provided a critical analysis of the problem of age at entry and exit points for the undergraduates of our universities. As a true academic, he has provided the solutions as well. Although it is not rocket-science, the solutions proposed by the Professor are timely and are of the essence. The age at which proper primary schooling should start, the time scheduled to be spent in primary and secondary education, timing of the GCE ‘O’ Level and ‘A’ Level examinations, as advocated by him, stands to all good reason and are compatible with a rapidly developing world, especially as the scenarios seen in the developed Western World. As Professor Ileperuma has suggested, we need to make ‘O’ Levels for two years and the examination in December, the ‘A’ levels, for another two years with the examination in December and for those who qualify, into the universities in October of the following year. All we need to do is to make a concerted effort to get our youth into our universities by the age of 18 years…, period.

From the Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians, we have repeatedly expressed our gravest concerns about the loads of unnecessary stuff that is taught and then tested on, in our schools. Time and time again, we have been fervently advocating for revisions to, and truncating of, the entire school curriculum. All kinds of highly advanced material are taught in our schools. As an example, in the higher classes, some minutiae of genetics that are taught, are only needed to be known by the likes of postgraduate students in human genetics who are reading for an M.Phil, MD or a PhD. Are these of any use at all to develop and harvest the majority of students who would be outside such exalted strata, who should be given the necessary education to become productive citizens? Just memory-based recall type of spewing of facts is not the only goal of a proper education system. The educational endeavours should attempt to foster lateral out-of-the-box thinking, rational evaluation and a balanced outlook on life itself. Unfortunately, and sadly, the current system of education does not in anyway help to foster such a vision, and neither does it facilitate a dedicated mission towards achieving such goals. In addition, many experts and authorities on the subject wax eloquent about the disaster that is the entire gamut of non-communicable diseases. Yet for all that sufficient time is not provided for recreational activities and exercise, which are confirmed strategies in the prevention of those very same diseases.

All it would need is some serious contemplation, reflective assessments and an abiding willingness to bring about beneficial changes. Nobody, not even the people who have the power and empowerment to redress the balance, seem to be too bothered about it. Some of us are very definitely much more concerned about the educational development of the youth of our land to whom the future of this land belongs. As so graphically pointed out by Professor Ileperuma, there are several ministries and a multitude of organisations working in water-tight compartments on different aspects of education. As very often seen by many of us, the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. It is not really necessary to bring about world-changing and ground-breaking reforms of the entire educational system and turn it upside down, to implement all the suggestions so lucidly expounded by Professor Ileperuma. All it would need is a certain degree of cooperation and a dedicated willingness to change for the better. With the advanced technology that is available, sorting out the marks of examinations and university admissions should not be a major dizzy height that has to be climbed relentlessly nor a veritable abyss that has to be crossed. In point of fact, it is probably no big deal, but should just be a piece of cake. Yet for all that, many of the organisations involved in education are full of lotus-eaters who would resist change at every turn. They are firm believers in the adage “More work is more trouble. Less work is less trouble, and no work, is of course, no trouble”.

I, for one, cannot really see an enduring obstacle to or any convincing constraint against, the implementation of the far-reaching changes that have been advocated by Professor Ileperuma. As two people of the same vintage, he and I do seem to share the very same outlook and perceptions in this regard. We are probably two of many a score of people who have most definitely felt and appreciated the sheer need for these reforms, simply because of what both of us have gained through the system that was operational around five decades ago. As for the contention whether the powers-that-be feel the same way as we do, is perhaps a matter for conjecture. I am quite sure that the illustrious Professor would be happy to join me in saying “If there is a will, there will always be a way”.