Champika wants District Quota System changed

The District Quota System must be changed and more chances should be given on individual merit when enrolling students to State universities, Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said.

The minister pointed out that Medical, Engineering and Dental Faculties of State universities must be opened for students who are denied university entrance due to the District Quota System, to have education after paying the course fee.

He said this proposal, if enacted, would enable those Faculties themselves to find the capital expenditure needed.

The minister made these observations participating in the adjournment debate on the SAITM issue in Parliament on Thursday.

He also pointed out that there is no need for the government to make a commitment to absorb all the medical degree holders into the government service.

“There is no rule that says that all the engineers coming out of universities be given State sector appointments. Why do we have such a policy when it comes to doctors? Let them go for open competition,” he stated.

The minister, who was vocal against the SAITM, said this institute has proven its incapability to win social respect. “The shooting incident involving the SAITM CEO that has been staged showed that its administrators are more like underworld leaders,” he said.

He said education should not be a profit-oriented business, adding that this is a key problem with regard to SAITM. “The cost of producing a medical graduate in a State university is about Rs 2.5 million, where the SAITM charges Rs 12 million. The balance f Rs 9.5 million is the profit obtained from each graduate,” he pointed out.

“Some argue that thousands of students who are qualified to university entrance are deprived of that opportunity. However, keep in mind that three ‘S’ passes are the minimum qualification to university entrance and that means obtaining 35 marks for each paper. This could be sufficient in 1979, but this is not valid today. I propose to increase the benchmark for university entrance as 50 marks for each paper,” he commented.

The minister pointed out that the records of Colombo Medical Faculty and Engineering Faculties of Moratuwa and Peradeniya showed that a significant number of students who enter from the district quota do not complete the degree. “I recommend that we give more weight to individual merit,” he added.