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University reforms - why recommend more universities?

by Prof. Ranjit Ruberu
Emeritus Professor of Education
University of Colombo

The proposed University Reforms recommend the establishment of two more universities of Uva and Wayamba. This will be a further addition to the already existing 12 universities plus the Open University and the Buddha Srawaka Dhamma Phitaya in Anuradhapura and the Buddhist and Pali university providing university education to the clergy. Of the 12 universities the Universities of Peradeniya, Colombo, Kelaniya, Moratuwa, Sri Jayawardenapura and Ruhuna were established to meet a need that prevailed at the time. All of them also inherited a reasonably long academic tradition having being institutions of higher learning before they were raised to university level. The recognised universities in other parts of the world also in general had such established tradition before becoming universities.

It is no secret that the other universities that came into being in Sri Lanka in the recent past were more of a result of political agitation rather than for the betterment of university education in the country on objective planning or reasoning . The establishment of universities in a manner similar to the practice of elevating schools to higher categories merely by name and without adequate provisions, could be the most damaging exercise to be already ailing university system in the country.

In accordance with the prevailing world pattern based on population ratio, it could be argued that Sri Lanka needs some more universities and this perhaps could be a reason for proposing the establishment of two more universities under the current university reforms. There is however no rhyme or reason to follow world pattern unless there is a genuine back-up and resources to follow world pattern. It may be a move to achieve some political gain that will not be an advantage to the country in the long run. A further increase in the number of universities cannot be a priority at the moment when the existing university system is in need of more urgent improvements.

Priorities
Two urgent priorities for university education are (1) the amelioration of the quality of university education to meet the urgent national needs such as manpower development and (2) remedying graduate unemployment problem. Although it can be argued that universities are not responsible for providing employment opportunities to passing-out graduates, the universities have an obligation by way of providing education and training that is worth while for those who seek university education.

A university is one of the great institutions of the modern world, it is central to the conduct of a nation's life and is the most sophisticated agency for the advancement of knowledge through dissemination, scholarship and research. As stated by an Internationally reputed Educationist Sir Eric Ashby, ''every civilized society tends to develop institutions which will enable it to acquire, digest, and advance knowledge relevant to the tasks which it is thought, will confront it in the future. Of these institutions the university is the most important''.

However, the standards of education provided in a university depends equally on the quality of the provisions made available to these institutions, to function in harmony. The circumstances under which some universities in Sri Lanka function today, fall far short of the optimal requirements such institutions are in need. They survive amidst trying conditions.

In a situation like this university reform should aim at eradicating the poverty in the already existing universities before embarking on the establishment of more and more new universities bound to be only meagrely provided. This is something urgently needed and any reform short of such objective would be ineffective.

Many of the existing universities have grievances regarding the lack of adequate accommodation an consequent overcrowding, inadequate library facilities, shortage of well qualified teaching staff, inadequate facilities to meet the ever increasing student needs including financial assistance for the needy students and residence facilities for students whereever such facilities are required. These shortcomings deserve the attention of the planners, if university education in the country is to be improved. It would be a more realistic approach to remedy these in the prevailing system rather than in utilising the limited resources available for the establishment of more universities having stringent budgets.

Graduate unemployment that has become a national problem is generally attributed to the inappropriate education provided by the universities at present. Most universities still offer curricula and courses of study designed for the erstwhile needs of years ago and even the more recently established universities have not shown much impressive change in curricula provision. Some of the subjects taught are not only outdated but also sometimes have no relevance to the manpower developmental needs for employment. The expansion of university education has apparently been accepted as a mere increase in the numbers of universities of the same kind with hardly any innovative change in the university curriculum.

In any progressive university reforms the curricula change and innovation are the most desired and urgently needed. Yet the proposed reforms do not suggest any worthwhile changes to the curriculum expressed clearly and in exact terms. This being the most important issue that determines the relevance of university education for the future generations of children much more concern should have been evident. Even very radical change if needed is most welcome at this juncture.

The twelve universities other than the Open University apparently follow curricula they inherited from the past although some of the subjects taught have become outdated. Deviation from the past whereever evident looks insignificant because of the stereotyped nature of the curriculum in a majority of universities functioning today. The lack of enthusiasm to change has also put university education behind the times.

Less important
A variety of subjects have now entered the university curriculum both in the developed countries and the developing ones in recent years rendering some of the traditional subjects less important. This has been happening for the last two decades or so and many of the new universities that came into being in these countries are more often much different from the older ones in respect of courses provided and subjects taught. The universities are no longer Ivory Towers following traditional curricula having no relation with the community. The Redbrick universities of Great Britain, the Community Colleges of the United States and polytechnics of the former Soviet countries are universities that came up catering to the sociol economic needs of these countries at the time.

University reforms in the present context of society cannot be ignoring such world trends and lead a country towards national development. Reforms may sometimes be very radical ones that even call for criticism until such time people are convinced of the possible merits of the change. What the country needs today is inspiring and innovative measures to upgrade and improve the university system.

Thousands of graduates passing out from the country's universities join the ranks of educated unemployed youth. Graduate unemployment is becoming worse year after year and if no action is taken to arrest this trend a time could come when educated youth will become a threat to the peace in the country. For thousands of graduates to be unemployable there must be some inefficiency in the education provided by the universities. Planners of university education should take action to diagnose causes of such failure and propose measures to remedy the situation for good.

Increasing the number of universities or the admission of more and more students to universities without making suitable improvements to the existing system and introducing inadequate reforms to the curriculum and university courses would only perpetuate the present chaotic situation. Even the limiting of admission to the current numbers until more appropriate curricula and courses are defined can be justified in consequence of the unemployment problem of the present day graduates. However, alternate opportunities for tertiary education must be found to cater to the needs of the students who are qualified for higher education. There is a need for alternative higher education opportunities urgently.

Provision for non-university tertiary education has not received much attention although there is a great demand and a need in the country. Technical or polytechnic education, technological studies, business and commerce education, teacher education, vocational education, health and medical education at para-medical levels, legal education, social and community service education, are some areas suitable for tertiary level education and training for the advanced level school leavers. It is the lack of such opportunities that has caused the scramble for university education however remote the chances of admission could be. While the reforming of university education needs immediate attention the consideration of the authorities responsible for development of education should also be directed to fill in the gap in tertiary education at non-university level.
Eppawela Phosphate Project

By G. Kulatunga
Chairman,
Agricultural Engineering Sectional Committee,
The Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka.

The rock deposit containing apatite (a mineral consisting of calcium phosphate and fluoride or chloride) was discovered by the Geological Survey Department in 1971. The proven reserves are estimated to be 25 million tonnes, with another 35 tonnes of inferred deposits.

The deposit is in the form of apatite crystals and weathered rock and has an average grade of 35 per cent P2O5. The deposit is considered to have one of the highest grade in the world but the contaminants of chlorides, oxides of iron and aluminium are claimed to be high by some. Whereas, Prof. O. A. Illeperuma, Professor of Chemistry at University of Peradeniya, claims that the oxides of iron and aluminium vary from place to place, and they can be removed by a simple grinding and sifting operation, as these oxides tend to concentrate in the finest fraction.

At the moment, Lanka Phospate Limited extracts around 45,000 tonnes of rock annually by blasting, then crushes it and sells it in the local market for direct use in plantation crops.

Project Proposal
Based on worldwide tenders called for expedient the deposit, Freeport-McMoRan Resource Partners of USA was selected for further negotiations. There proposal envisages mining the deposit at the rate of approximately one million tonnes a year and producing 600,000 tonnes of phosphate fertilizer and other products, comprising of the following;

• Single Super Phosphate
• Triple Super Phosphate
• Monoammonium Phosphate
• Diammonium Phosphate (mainly for export)
• Phosphoric acid, pharmaceutical and food grade phosphates

For the processing operation of these products, the following main raw materials will be imported by the company, in bulk and stored at the site;

• Ammonia
• Sulfer

The main by-products of processing is an enormous quantity of Phosphogypsum, 1.2 million tonnes will be generated annually, which is more than the quantity of rock mined. The proposal claims that the gypsum (CaSO4) could be used in cement industry. But a conservative estimate, as a 3 per cent additive to cement, shows that only 1.2 per cent of the output will be used, locally. The storage and disposal of this by-product has caused severe problems, in similar plants in the USA.

The land allocate for the project is as follows

• 56 square miles at Eppawela for exploration (36,000 acres)
• A further buffer zone of 10 km radius, at Eppawela (80,000 acres)
• 450 acres at Trincomalee, with beach front for the Jetty.
• A further 300 acres to be reserved at Trincomalee for possible future use

The purpose of a buffer zone is to safeguard the people in the vicinity from dangers arising out of mining activities and it is generally limited to around 1000 yards (approximately 1 km), even in the US. But, by allocating almost ten times the stipulated limit, the proposed buffer zone seems to have been demarcated to safeguard the commercial interests of the Project Company, by preventing others from obtaining mining rights in the area.

Apart from mining phosphate for processing the said products, the Company is allowed to mine another 3.6 million tonnes and export it in raw form, during the first 12 years of operation. However, the company is prevented from extracting any other minerals without the prior consent of the Geological and Mines Bureau.

The expressed objectives of the project
One identified objective, as expressed by the Minister of Industries, is to supply fertilizer at an affordable price to local farmers. The other is employment generation, which is expected to be 5,000 during development and 600-800 during the operation. Foreign collaboration was required as exploitation of mineral deposits is considered a high-risk investment, and public funds cannot be committed to such risky ventures. The other justification for the project is that the country does not have the required resources to exploit the reserves, and the present form of exploitation of the deposit is not suitable. The report by BOI confirms the unsuitability of current operation by stating that rock phosphate is not suitable for paddy cultivation.

Further economic justification, as stated by the Chairman BOI, is that the government is not making any investment in the project whilst receiving 10 per cent free equity. Apart from royalty received, the byproduct generated, gypsum, is expected to promote industries such as cement, gypsum board and plaster. A reason to go ahead with the project is attributed to the danger of losing investor confidence if it is abandoned.

The questions to be answered
During the project period of 30 years, the entire proven deposits of apatite will be exploited, therefore the uncertainty of exploration is almost nil. What is the additional advantage accrued to the State by minimizing the risk of investment of the project proponent? The regulations under the Mines and Minerals Act No. 33 of 1992 prescribes a royalty of 4 per cent this has been increased to 5.5 per cent is that sufficient?

How can one say the State has not made any investment when the entire deposit is the country’s investment. Do we know the extent, value and grade of the proven and inferred deposits? If not, how do we negotiate, from strength, with a foreign project proponent? If, only after full exploration is done, that the company would determine the method and exact location of mining, how can an assurance be given to the settlers that they will not be displaced?

Why did McMoRan nominate an affiliate, IMC Agrico, to negotiate and why did not they sign the MIA but expect the new Project Company to sign it? Is it worth our while to win the confidence of an investor such as McMoRan whose dismal record in Indonesia was highlighted in the issue of World-Watch in May/June 1998, under the heading ‘Unrest in Indonesia’.

If the Project Company is allowed to process only phosphate how will the government ensure that the company does not process any other material, from the rock they are permitted to export?

By allowing only 150m on either side of irrigation channels, as a setback zone to minimize damage to the irrigation system, the assumption made is that only conveyance of water takes place through the area. But experts believe that the exploration area forms an important watershed for three rivers in the area: Kiriwelhena mound forms part of the watershed for Talawa Oya, Malwatu Oya and Kala Oya. How will these be safeguarded? The gypsum generated will be hundred times the current requirement of the local cement industry. Will expansion in the cement industry or new gypsum based industries will be able to absorb such a large quantity? Are there any plans to launch such projects?

Why were local technical / Scientific experts not consulted in the first instance
The list of representatives consulted by the Cabinet Appointed Negotiating Committee includes the following:

• Representatives from the Ministry of Finance and Planning
• Representatives from the Ministry of Lands
• Representatives from the Inland Revenue Department
• Representatives from Board of Investment
• Representatives from the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau
• Representatives from the Urban Development Authority
• Representatives from the Railways Department
• Representatives from Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka
• Representatives from the Attorney General’s Department

The foreign consultants and experts consulted are:

• Prof. Louis T. Wells Jr. Professor of International Management, Harvard University, August 1993.
• Prof. David Smith, Harvard Law College, Harvard University, August 1993
• Dr. R. Lyun Moxham, Mineral Consultant, Canada, March 1994
• Mr. T. Richard Tinsley, International Adivisory & Finance Services, specializing in Minerals, Australia, March 1994
• Mr. Duleep Jayawardena, Economic Affairs Officer, National Resources Division, ESCAP, from 1993 to date
• Mr. Paul Fortin, Mining Lawyer and International Legal Consultant, March 1994-1996

When the main objective of the project is to manufacture fertilizer to meet local and international demands, from where did the Negotiating Committee get advice regarding fertilizer needs of the country? Is it from McMoRan? It is important to remember that the plantation sector, that uses rock phosphate, occupies almost a million hectares of land, while the paddy sector accounts for half a million hectares.

It is very important to know the answer, as proposal states that rock phosphate is not suitable for paddy. The latest publication by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, on Efficient use of Fertilizer in Agriculture, states that there is considerable scope for direct application of suitable types of rock phosphate as phosphate fertilizer, in the cultivation of low land rice and legumes in acid soils. Further, it states that partially soluble (up to 30 per cent solubility) or non-water soluble phosphates are as good as water soluble sources in acid soils. In neutral soils, water solubility of around 50 per cent seems to be sufficient.

The other main factor to be borne in mind, when we talk of global needs versus local needs of fertilizer, is that Sri Lanka does not grow wheat. Rice accounts for nearly 50 per cent of all fertilizer used in Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, fertilizer application in rice is steadily declining, at the rate of 7 per cent per annum, due to the high cost of fertilizer. To solve the problem of declining productivity, we need to find cheap alternatives to high grade fertilizers. Why single super phosphate is not popular in the global market is because wheat cannot utilize residual phosphorous in the form of Fe-P which is the major transformation product of phosphorus after rice and rice can utilize Fe-P besides Al-P.

What we need to establish is whether we are planning to deplete the only source of fertilizer available in the country, that could be used for its major crop, to meet global demand in a very short period of 30 years?

We cannot be satisfied that a further inferred reserves of 30 million tonnes will be still available at the end of the project. For one thing, this is not a proven reserve and even if that were the case, the best and the most easily extractable portion will be exploited first, and we will be left with the the poor remaining deposit which may not be economically viable to extract.

The promised cheap phosphate fertilizer to local farmers, assured only during the period the project is operative, will come to an end in 30 years. If by that time no further work is done on alternate use of rock phosphate, the poor farmer will be exposed to exploitation by multinationals in trying to satisfy the fertilizer regime that the farmer has, by then, got use to. This is of different to the 'Green Revolution' treadmill, where farmers, heavily dependent on chemical inputs, have lost the skill of land husbandry. In thirty years time, if the country is to depend on sustainable agriculture, low input agriculture using organic manure may become necessary. In this regard, mixing of rock phosphate with dung, compost, activated sludge are some promising applications now being researched on, actively.

Recommendations
Direct export of phosphate rock, without processing, must not be allowed as this will not ensure that only phosphate is extracted from the mineral deposit.

The project should be commissioned, at least in two stages. First the exploration must be completed and an Environmental Impact Assessment done. Then only, the negotiations for commercial exploitation of the deposit must be done.

The rate of extraction of the deposit must be slowed down to allow for alternate use of rock phosphate. The current rate, of approximately one million tonnes of rock extraction per year, must be reduced to a level where the proven deposit will last over 100 years. In the mean time, the inferred deposit must be fully explored and fresh terms be negotiated. Local entrepreneurs must be allowed to mine and crush rock for direct application and for partial acidulation, on a decentralized basis. This will mitigate the problem of accumulating large quantities of gypsum, unutilized and posing a danger to the fragile marine ecosystem in Trincomalee.

An independent strategic environmental and cultural impact assessment must be carried out, in parallel, while further exploration of the area is carried out. This is important as the region is known for its cultural heritage in the form of ancient water and soil conservation ecosystem epitomized by Jaya Ganga. The processing complex at Trincomalee too must be assessed for environmental impact, in view of the large quantities of waste gypsum, though presented as a useful by-product, that will be produced and that needs stock piling close to the sea.
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