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Improving the Quality of University Education in Sri Lanka: an Analysis of Quality Assurance Agency Council's Reviews

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Improving the Quality of University Education in Sri Lanka: an Analysis of Quality Assurance Agency Council's Reviews Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences 2017 40 (1): 03-15 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/sljss.v40i1.7497 REVIEW ARTICLE Improving the quality of university education in Sri Lanka: an analysis of Quality Assurance Agency Council's reviews Chandra Gunawardena* Emeritus Professor in Education, The Open University of Sri Lanka, Nawala, Sri Lanka. Abstract: Knowledge economy requires institutions with INTRODUCTION the ability to discover new knowledge, develop innovative applications of these discoveries and transfer them into the Knowledge economy demands a highly educated marketplace through entrepreneurial activities. Knowledge accumulation is increasingly at the core of a country’s citizenry enabled by development of a strong system of competitive advantage. In Sri Lanka, during the last two education at all levels. It also requires institutions with the decades, increasing concern has been expressed about the ability to discover new knowledge, develop innovative quality of university education. The World Bank (2009) applications of these discoveries, and transfer them reiterated that the establishment of a Quality Assurance System into the marketplace through entrepreneurial activities. for the full higher education sector is of great importance. The Knowledge Economy ranking is the simple average of Quality Assurance Agency Council of the University Grants four sub-indexes: economic incentive and institutional Commission, Sri Lanka (QAAC) was established in 2007 to regime; innovation and technological adoption; review programmes of study offered by various Departments education and training; information and communications of Study (Subject Reviews) and the quality of higher education infrastructure. Out of 145 countries surveyed in 2012, institutions (Institutional Reviews). This paper analyses the Sri Lanka’s ranking was 101, above all the other South institutional and subject review reports submitted for the state universities by the Quality Assurance Agency Council of Asian countries. A knowledge economy is characterised Sri Lanka to identify key issues that the universities need to by close links between science and technology, greater take up in order to assure quality. Overall, institutional reviews importance placed on innovation for economic growth portray a positive scenario with the majority of the universities and competitiveness, increased significance of education, being on the way to improve their quality. Analysis of the Subject and life-long learning, and greater investment in Review Reports indicate that, on the whole, the Departments intangibles such as R&D and software. in universities have performed satisfactorily, obtaining Good grades for half the courses and Satisfactory grades for 41% of courses. Eight Universities have received a higher percentage In Sri Lanka, during the last two decades, increasing of Good grades for their courses. However, in some aspects concern has been expressed about the quality of directly impinging on teaching-learning, performance of some university education. The Presidential Task Force on of the Departments has been adjudged to be Unsatisfactory. It University Education in 1997 pointed out that several has to be recognised that External Reviews can contribute only factors such as (1) Expansion of facilities lagging far to a certain extent to improve the quality. These Reviews need behind the increase of enrolments, (2) The loss resulting to be seriously discussed at Faculty Boards and Senates and progress monitoring be maintained if the desirable outcome is from the withdrawal of English as the medium of to be achieved. instruction which is debilitating, (3) The absence of an academically stimulating environment, (4) Widespread Keywords: Knowledge Economy, Quality of university apathy among a majority of both staff and students and education in Sri Lanka, Institutional Reviews, Subject (5) Lectures degenerating into dictation had contributed Reviews, Quality Assurance Agency Council. to this situation. *[email protected] 4 Chandra Gunawardena In what appears as a total indictment of university application of new knowledge and hence upon educated education, the Asian Development Bank (2000) stated people and their ideas” (Duderstadt, 2008). “On the whole, a rigid and outdated educational In 1996, Clark stressed that the expansion and system persists anchored on outmoded teaching complexity in the knowledge with which universities and learning methodologies, rote learning, lecture now deal is one of the salient forces for change in notes, traditional curricula and inadequately higher education. Thus, “the driving force behind the st localized textbooks”. 21 Century economy is considered as knowledge and developing human capital as the best way to ensure The World Bank (2009) reiterated that the prosperity” (National Conference of State Legislatures, establishment of a quality assurance system for the full 2006). Knowledge economy also requires institutions higher education sector is of great importance and that, with the ability to discover new knowledge, develop innovative applications of these discoveries, and transfer “Sri Lanka needs quality assurance mechanisms them into the marketplace through entrepreneurial covering the programs and courses in post- activities (Drucker, 2005). Knowledge produced in graduate education, undergraduate education, this manner can immediately or with little delay be distance learning, and the private higher education disseminated to populations dispersed across the globe sector. It underscored that the quality of higher as a result of growing interconnectedness. education has to be substantially strengthened to produce graduates of international quality Department for Business Innovation and Skills and research. The research and innovation (DBIS) (UK) (2008) pointed out that, capacity of the higher education system should “In a knowledge economy, universities are the be dramatically strengthened to support, and most important mechanism for generating and eventually lead the development of Sri Lanka preserving, disseminating and transforming as a MIC. The higher education sector will need knowledge into wider social and economic to produce human resources for knowledge- benefits. They are crucial too, as the providers intensive industries and services. The capacity of life-chances to individuals in an environment for rapid technology adoption and adaptation, where skills and the ability to apply those skills as well as innovation, will play a crucial role in are essential for employment”. development. In addition, close linkages need to be promoted between universities and industries.” DBIS argues that a strong university system is essential to a country’s economic success and the vibrancy and The purpose of this paper is to analyse the depth of its intellectual and cultural life. institutional and subject review reports submitted for the state universities by the Quality Assurance Agency The Graz Declaration on Committing Universities of Sri Lanka and identify key issues that the universities to Sustainable Development (2009) concluded that need to take up in order to assure quality. No attempt universities as the location of academic education, bear will be made to find out what action has been taken by a distinctive responsibility for the students and their individual universities to improve quality on the basis of professional moral quality as future leaders in society these reviews. and economy and as major contributors to research, they should tackle questions which rise in connection with the transition of societies around the world towards more REVIEW OF PERTINENT LITERATURE sustainable development. The new Millennium has been described as an age The university plays a particular set of roles in the of knowledge, in which the resource for prosperity global knowledge economy. It acts as a provider of has become knowledge itself. Today, the emphasis both private and public goods in terms of education and is shifting from creating and transporting physical research, as well as playing historically well-established objects to knowledge itself. Knowledge accumulation roles in terms of applied problem-solving. The university is increasingly at the core of a country’s competitive also acts as a conduit for the wider societal impacts advantage, which is itself determined by the ability to linked to and co-evolving with the other three roles innovate in a continuous manner (Holm-Nielsen, 2009). and facilitating integration into the wider social and Today, the world has entered a period of rapid and innovation system (Diaco et al., 2012). In order to profound economic, social and political transformation perform the above stipulated goals, it is mandatory for driven by the emergence of a radically new system for universities in any country ensure quality in performing creating wealth that depends upon the creation and their functions. June 2017 Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences 40 (1) 4 Chandra Gunawardena Improving quality of university education Sri Lanka 5 SRI LANKA’S ATTEMPTS TO MEET CURRENT Moratuwa, South-Eastern University and Sabaragamuwa CHALLENGE OF QUALITY IN UNIVERSITY University but these were not available for perusal. These EDUCATION Second Review Reports would have been helpful to find out whether substantial progress had been achieved after Three recent initiatives: the IRQUE (Improving the First Reviews. Relevance and Quality of University Education) Project, the QAA (Quality Assurance Agency) initiative under
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