Sunday Times 2
SAITM issue: Abuse of the system and penalised students
View(s):By Dr. Channa Ratnatunga
I read an erudite article from my respected friend and colleague Prof. Haleem Sherifdeen in the Sunday Times of December 18, 2016 and felt I should add my thoughts to it. I would like to reiterate what he said that it would be a tragedy to let “business elements” into what has been up to now a quality education delivering outstanding health statistics in this island of ours which are the envy of all. It is delivered on a shoestring budget! Some of the SAARC neighbours, especially the one across the Palk Strait, have messed up under political pressure to an unregulated medical education. Likewise similar pressures are likely to be brought on by this politicised society of ours. I would like to reinforce what the professor said, it should remain strictly well regulated and under the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) control.
An anti-SAITM protest: But are the protesters justified in their demand for the closure of this private institution when the system is abused?
That said, children are born to parents, unfortunately, with no choice as to their social and economic circumstance. Some would say if they are Buddhists that it is karma at work. The right to education is a human right. The state in a welfare state like ours would be justified in providing all children an equal opportunity for a free basic education and a free higher education for those who meet the requirements at assessments.
Medical education given currently by the state is limited by costs to the state. Student unions demanding an increase of such educational opportunity have to accept the fact that at present the country can ill afford such an expansion. It’s not that it is not within the government’s radar, but that at this juncture it is not feasible.
To make an attempt to offer uniformity of educational opportunity to the children country wide, a decision was made, I think in the late 1970 to have those who sit for the Advanced Level to have merit passes (40%), district quota (55%) and a 5% quota for under- privileged areas. The output to the seven state medical schools is close upon a 1000 i.e. we are talking about 50 student placements from underprivileged areas, among those selected for training per course i.e. for medicine.
This is the rub. Is the system of selection above abuse? Those, from these underprivileged areas, according to the rule book, produce a certificate of residence from the Grama Sevaka of the area. I gather the underprivileged areas are the districts of Mannar, Killinochchi, Moneragala, Nuwara Eliya etc. They must be registered in an educational institution in the area, have a minimum of 80% attendance at the school, and have sat for the O’ level and A/Level exam from the same school.
It is common knowledge that some desperate parents abuse this system. I gather the abuse is of two types. One, the children from underprivileged areas are often boarded with friends and relatives or travel to Colombo, Kandy, Matara, Galle and other big cities to attend tuition classes and make use of educational opportunities. This makes them no different from the children from the so-called privileged districts. How they cover the attendance requirement is point of question? We are aware that the staff of such schools look the other way, after all children succeeding with a good Z scores, reflect well for the school. Ask the parents, who cannot afford to send their children for tuition, or does not wish to abuse the system!
The second type is what has been recently revealed in Nuwara Eliya — children from privileged areas being permitted to sit the exam having been registered in schools of underprivileged areas. This has been happening for a long time maybe since the inception of the scheme. Those abuse the system tread on the rights of children born to poor parents in underprivileged areas.
How many of those going on processions, like the IUSF members, how many who are GMOA members, its Executive committee members, like the one who has forgotten his Z score, have come from this aforesaid people who have abused the system? With the new Freedom of Information Act, I hope all this will come to light! The Government should be asked to not only penalise school staff who abuse the system but also go crack down on those who are studying in our universities and expose how the system is being abused. They abused an opportunity of Higher Education of many unfortunate children whose parents are too poor or were principled enough to comply with the rule book.
In this milieu, with so much abuse going on, it is in my opinion that the Government cannot close its eyes to it, but accept the reality that in the circumstance it should permit institutions like the SAITM to go ahead, for it has failed to make sure that people conformed to the system. The children who have been affected by this abuse must have at least a right to Higher Education. That over 10 years could be 500 doctors! The parents of such children are cultured enough to bear their sorrow and do not go on “pela pali’ but look for alternatives like the SAITM.
The Z score, as we all know, makes it difficult for the children from big cities to enter popular courses like medicine. Parents from these areas are at a disadvantage and if their children want to become doctors they often sell their property if they own any, or get loans, that they are hard pressed to pay back to fulfil the child’s ambition and send their children to foreign medical schools recognised by the SLMC and get a poor quality education. I say poor quality, because I know only a few students from thousands who sit this compulsory local exam to assess the quality of their medical training abroad get through it. The parents of such children have often been hoodwinked as to the quality of education by persuasive brochures, promotional material and picturesque advertisements. The examination results show some of these medical schools in poor light. If their products are of a standard, why are they unable to get through the EPRM or its predecessor the Act 16 — which are basic assessments. It would be interesting if the SLMC was transparent on this score and reveal to us the statistic of exam success per each foreign medical school. Why are the foreign medical schools whose students struggle to pass not de-registered? The Chairman of the SLMC, this is over to you.
It is true that medical students in state universities are fortunate to work in state hospitals where they are exposed to a large spectrum of patients, both emergency and of a routine nature, often with end stage pathology. The patients are helpful to the students. It is indeed a luxury. Many foreign medical schools, especially in Europe, do not have enough non-paying patients in their clinical floors, that they resort to well-trained actors, simulators to give their students adequate “clinical” experience. This is the situation in many advanced countries. The GMOA barricading hospitals, preventing clinical training for private students is downright unfair. However, I take their point — the Government need not provide such facilities for private fee levying schools, if they cannot do so.
The children are Sri Lankan, they have no choice if they were born in big cities and are being unfairly dealt with. Let those who have qualified from SAITM sit a final exam in any Government medical school, I am sure they will do well, for, I have heard from Examiners from Government medical schools who examined them say that they did well. This will expose the real truth that belies the claims of their inadequacy! It is noted that they could not have got the all-important practical emergency care that one gets in a state hospital. To be pragmatic, the UGC has granted the SAITM the recognition to train. The parents took it on its word and sent their children. Rectify the past mistakes and restart the process on a clean slate. The Government should take over the Neville Fernando Hospital. There should be selection criteria acceptable to all stakeholders — start again, after addressing the grievances of those who have qualified from SATIM fairly.
In conclusion, I would like to comment on a newspaper account I saw recently, of a Parliamentary committee on private medical education tying such educational Institutions to State medical schools in the future. This is a sensible move and I think a brilliant alternative.
(The writer is a former Professor of Surgery, University of Peradeniya)