Remedies for the plight of school-leavers

by Nimal Abeysinghe
nimal.abeysinghe@gmail.com

Deciding what to do when you leave school is tough. It becomes a nightmare for students and parents alike when you suddenly find yourself short of a few marks to qualify for university admission. Every year about 270,000 students face this dilemma.

Let’s delve a little deeper into the unpleasant statistics. In all streams of study combined, about 70 percent of the GCE (O/L) students qualify for the GCE (A/L) and then out of around 350,000 who sit the GCE (A/L) about 63 percent become eligible for admission to a university. However, due to the limited capacity of universities, on average only 23 percent (in 2019 the figure was 19 percent) of the eligible candidates manage to enter university. The competition for Arts and Commerce students is worse with only 17 percent gaining entry (UGC Statistics Report 2020 and University World News 2021). To put this in perspective, if 100 students sit the GCE (O/L) only 10 will eventually enter the university. After studying three to five years in the university depending on the course of study, about 90 percent of graduates of a few disciplines, such as architecture, engineering, medicine and IT, find employment related to the field of study, within two years.

Sadly, only 45 percent of Arts students secure employment, within two to three years of graduation. (Tracer Study of Graduates – Commissioned by UGC in 2017/18). Out of these, how many are underemployed? This is the stark reality in Sri Lanka today. Unfortunately, the vast majority of secondary school students are discouraged by parents from considering any other avenue of tertiary education outside the university. This is done despite knowing very well that the odds are against them. Though the general public may not be aware of these statistics, it is common knowledge that there are unemployed Arts and other graduates in almost every town and village in the country. The total unemployment rate in 2019 was 4.8 percent, ranking Sri Lanka third among South Asian countries with high unemployment. Tragically, the unemployment rate in the 15 to 24 age group in our country recorded the highest rate at 21.5 percent. Based on education level, A/L and above showed the highest rate of unemployment at 8.2 percent (Labour force Survey – Department of Census and Statistics).

However, turning a blind eye to all these gloomy and depressing statistics; every year, soon, after the GCE (A/L) results are released, we hear the usual statement from the government that university intake will be increased this year to accommodate the sons and daughters of ‘poor and innocent people from our villages’. Like a pre-recorded statement we have been hearing this since the 1960s. And we continue to produce more graduates with no marketable skills who cannot improve their own livelihoods or make any positive contribution to the economic development of our society. Notwithstanding, some short-sighted, narrow-minded politicians keep giving false hopes to the masses and the masses allow themselves to be misguided and deceived by these politicians over and over again. Regrettably, some universities have exacerbated the situation by ignoring market demands and employability and continuing to offer courses that add absolutely no value to the graduates or the national economy. Regardless, every year the government in power continues to pump more money into universities to increase student intake across the board, presumably to fulfil an ‘election promise’. The establishment of 15 new technology faculties in some conventional universities a few years ago and the enrolment increase to technology courses are a step in the right direction which will enable a few more students to enter university. However, it does not adequately address the pressing issue of the absence of career development paths for school-leavers. At least going forward, the government needs to revise its funding model for education as a whole to provide more funding for technology-based education in schools. I must hasten to add that I am not advocating wholesale scrapping of Arts and Humanities courses from all universities but taking a pragmatic approach to funding allocation for education and taking steps to gradually reduce the intake to the Arts stream and faculties.

Creating non-productive jobs that do not make a positive contribution to society is not the solution to this massive problem. Instead of coming up with ambulance-at-the-bottom-of-the-cliff solutions, we must examine the root cause of the problem. If we compare this problem to an unwanted tree, its seed is planted in secondary school (perhaps in primary school) and nurtured by teachers, parents and extended family. One cannot completely blame them for doing so because of the prestige and social status associated with a university degree. Furthermore, most students and parents are not aware of any other avenues of study available to them outside university education. We already have in place the infrastructure and administrative apparatus via the establishment of the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission (TVEC) in 1991 and the National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) framework in 2005. In the year 2017 total university admissions were 31,415 whilst NVQ Level 1 enrolment was only 18,484. What is needed is an intensive social marketing strategy to change the attitude and mindset of students, parents and teachers alike. Unfortunately, this is more easily said than done in a society in which picking up a tool and getting one’s hands dirty is considered below the dignity of an ‘educated’ person. Changing this attitude and building respect and social recognition for a trade-qualified, skilled person will be a slow and arduous process. Another change that needs to be considered simultaneously is to discourage students from taking up dead-end undergraduate courses. A policy decision has to be taken to gradually reduce the intake to such courses. This demands extraordinary political courage as there will be stiff opposition from parents and students and most certainly from certain segments of academics.

With rapid industrialisation in the second half of the last century, the demand for skilled labour such as carpenters, welders, electricians and plumbers saw rapid growth in the developed world because they played a pivotal role in economic growth. This resulted in a surge in the earning power of tradespeople. These financial gains directly contributed to higher living standards which in turn translated to higher social standing and recognition of those engaged in skilled trades. While attaining financial stability and a higher standard of living for themselves, tradespeople continue to make a huge contribution to the economic development of these countries. Another important factor in this social change was the introduction of formal education and training requirements to achieve set standards and certification and licensing protocols introduced and monitored by government agencies. A further noteworthy development was the formation of associations of individual trades with objectives quite different from conventional trade unions. These organisations set quality standards for workmanship and ensured their members adhered to these standards, thus fulfilling the task of formal self-regulation of tradespeople. The membership of such an organisation gave the trades-person a higher standing as well as his or her clients the assurance that the quality of the work done would be of high standard. These measures prevented ‘cowboys’ from calling themselves skilled tradesmen.

Though a direct comparison cannot be drawn between Sri Lanka and developed countries due to widely varying social attitudes and cultural differences, it is still worthwhile studying some of the strategies implemented and the outcomes. Across the developed world one can see an unmistakable upward trend among young people enrolling in vocational training instead of undergraduate studies in Arts and Humanities or similar studies. For instance, in New Zealand during the last 10 years Arts and Humanities subjects have suffered a steep fall in student number: Between 25 percent and 50 percent across different universities, and one university senate decided to axe the Arts courses altogether from 2020 due to low enrolment rates. This decline is against a backdrop of enrolment increases in technology-related courses of study in tertiary institutions. During the same period, students leaving school before age 13 (equivalent to A/L) to take up apprenticeships in trades or to follow trade targeted courses have sharply increased. This trend has continued with the last year showing a significant jump of 50 percent over the previous year and this trend is not isolated to New Zealand but equally true to other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries.

Most universities in New Zealand offer courses from certificate (Level 4) to postgraduate level (Level 10) both full-time and part-time (Final year in school – A/L is considered Level 3). Therefore, for instance, a trades-person with a level 5 trade certificate can enter a university course mid-stream, instead of going back and sitting the equivalent of our A/L; and study towards a diploma, degree or beyond. In Sri Lanka, a student who leaves secondary school to take the Technical & Vocational Training route cannot enrol in a university but have to enter the University of Vocational Technology (Sri Lanka Education System Assessment 2017 – World Bank). Unfortunately, any attempt to implement pathways or processes similar to the ones in OECD countries will result in absolute turmoil in our society with unprecedented unrest in our educational institutions. Considering the present situation in our country we may have to put that in the ‘too hard basket’ for now. Nevertheless, if we are to move forward as a nation it is of utmost importance that we remove obstacles facing young men and women keen to build their careers.

The world has become technology dependent. Young men and women and their parents need to realise this and break away from the traditional thinking of ‘office clerk versus factory worker’. The reality is that the choice is whether you start young and earn while you learn and continue to enjoy financial stability or spend three or four years of your youth pursuing an irrelevant course of study only to join a long queue of job seekers. The youth, when faced with financial difficulties, may undergo this psychological transformation more rapidly than parents who are trapped in age-old social beliefs and notions. This is not about a ‘psychological revolution’ but more an evolutionary process of gradually changing the mindset of the general public and as such, invariably demands social marketing by the government, the media, including social media and above all, political parties. It is said that “most politicians know the right thing to do but they don’t know how to get re-elected after doing the right thing”.

The politicians need to be convinced that the right thing to do today is to stand with the school leavers, promote vocational training and allocate more funds for facilities ranging from more school workshops to increased financial support for vocational trainees and employers of trainees. If they can be shown that for every one undergraduate there are 10 plus school leavers, they might see the potential ‘vote bank’ which will answer every politicians’ proverbial question, “What’s in it for me?”. Having said that, one must not lose hope as the President has reiterated in his Independence Day speech:”Our objective is to do what is right by the country and not to please everyone.”

Since 1990 we have gradually built the legal and administrative framework and the infrastructure to support vocational education and training. Most certainly, like any other process it needs continuous improvement but more importantly, what is lacking is a commitment to implement policies falling under the umbrella of vocational education. This needs urgent action and cannot wait for action by politicians. Other non-political stakeholders like administrators and intellectuals need to take the initiative and lobby for funding to improve much-needed resources to transform the lives of our young men and women who are desperately in need of guidance and support before they leave school. A thorough understanding of the Sri Lanka Qualification Framework (SLQF) before leaving school will help students to make informed decisions regarding their future. The vast majority of A/L students take up Arts subjects because they have no other choice due to the lack of facilities in their schools. Providing basic workshop facilities in schools is a good start. It’s not just about learning to use basic engineering tools but about changing the mentality towards working with your hands. This is one area where funding priorities have to be reconsidered. Providing workshop facilities to rural schools and technology teacher training are costly. Experience has shown that retaining such teachers is a greater challenge as they have better prospects in the industry. A skill-based pay system in the education sector is out of the question, as even a hint of a proposal will incur the wrath of the unions.

Information is key to decision-making. Career fairs are becoming more and more popular, as a form of information dissemination, as young people are attracted to such events. If organised at the regional level teachers can ensure that secondary school students attend these fairs and gain knowledge to make informed choices. One other important area of focus can be career advice for students starting from O/L. Career guidance counsellors play a significant role in the school curriculum in the developed world. Customarily, counsellors are teachers with specialised training in career guidance. However, volunteers are quite common as well. They can empower students and parents with knowledge, allowing them to explore different career options and pathways together. Unlike most parents who are driven by preconceived career paths for their children, the counsellors can give unbiased pragmatic advice as they have no emotional attachment to the student. Only a handful of our schools are fortunate enough to have this facility but this is something, if implemented, that will go a long way in reshaping the attitudes of students and parents. Social attitudes of people cannot be changed by enacting laws but will go through a gradual transformation when consistently confronted with positive outcomes. Yet one must not leave it to run its course. A concerted effort by the government and the state apparatus is needed to alter the attitudes of our society towards skilled labour. Having said that, one must acknowledge the fact that respective governments have, to some extent, taken numerous initiatives to implement such projects but they have tragically encountered the same fate as most projects in our country; Endless delays and poor management.

On the whole, Sri Lanka has got the infrastructure, legal and administrative framework and enough government organisations to implement and monitor vocational education and training policies but funding priorities and efficient project management are the two critical areas that desperately need improvement.

(The writer thanks Dr. Julian Nanayakkara, former Senior Lecturer,
University of Moratuwa and University of Kelaniya and resource person for the Ministry of Education, for providing information and encouraging him to write to highlight the plight of school leavers who continue to fall through the cracks in our education system.)