The story of Sri Lankan graduates who pass out from State universities is extremely pathetic because they do not fit the job market and are employed as public servants in the State sector. Becoming a Public Servant is their only option when considering their limited knowledge and experience. Although the Government has introduced new subjects and streams for students, they still demand State sector jobs.
A couple of days ago, unemployed graduates staged a protest, by blocking the entrance and exit gates of the North Central Provincial Council (PC) building. Police later arrested 22 of them. The group of unemployed graduates entered the PC premises around 10.00 am, blocking all entrances and exits. The Governor, PC staff, and those visiting to get their work and documents done were present in the PC building.
Anuradhapura Headquarters Police Acting OIC, W.A.M. Nuwan Wickramasinghe addressed the protesters, but they continued their protest. Officers, including SSP Thilina Hewapathirana and ASP Jayantha Dharmadasa, announced the Court order to the protesters, leading to their arrest.
The Anuradhapura Chief Magistrate and Additional District Judge Nalaka Sanjeeva Jayasuriya ordered the 22 unemployed graduates who were produced at the Anuradhapura Magistrate’s Court to be released on two personal sureties of Rs. 200,000 each. The Chief Magistrate further ordered these suspects to appear before Court again on May 25.
The issue of unemployed graduates only exists in Sri Lanka because they demand State sector jobs and hate private sector employment. All Arts graduates who pass out from Sri Lankan State universities so far did not fit into the employment opportunities available in the country and therefore they were absorbed into the State sector. This is how the Public Sector in Sri Lanka exceeded 1.5 million employees while the actual requirement is only around 700,000. Over 100,000 of them do not have a specific duty. Some have unimportant duties. There are 10 to 15 public servants to do one task but the problem is that no one is available when people come to obtain their services or they somehow refrain from serving the people.
It is very interesting to note why unemployed graduates demand only State sector employment. The very first reason is the pension. They want a pension once they retire. Then comes job security. The Government sector does not have a hire and fire policy for those in the permanent cadre, hence there is no fear losing the job. The other reasons are 42 days of leave per year, Agrahara Medical Insurance, Saturday and Sunday plus all other public holidays, less work, not being accountable for their duties, a large number of allowances, loan facilities, car permits, getting paid just for signing in and out and not for completing any tasks.
Those unemployed graduates do not like to work in the private sector where talent and capability matter more than anything else. Private sector workers get paid for the workload they complete and not for signing in and out. No pension is available, although EPF/ETF is available. The medical insurance schemes cover only a small part of the full hospital bill(s). They only enjoy 21 or 28 days of leave for a year and get only Mercantile Holidays. They can lose their jobs at any time due to any reason. Moreover, most private sector jobs demand a good working knowledge of the King’s Language, which most graduates do not have. The only positive thing they see in private sector employment is the high salaries.
Governments which have ruled the country during the past 76 years created various state sector employment schemes for them such as `Janasavi appointments’, `Samurdhi Officers’, ‘Development Officers’, etc but did not change the education system in order to widen the job market. It is very easy to accuse the past Governments without proposing a practical solution. The slogans demanding State sector jobs were created by some minor political parties that used unemployed graduates for their election propaganda campaigns.
It is time for the Government to make changes to the State sector, changing the existing privileges to match those of the private sector and at the same time making drastic changes to the private sector too. The Government can very easily make required changes to the State sector and any strikes launched by Public Servants against such a move should be controlled.
It is possible to bring in new rules and regulations to the existing Acts that govern the private sector. The privileges and disadvantages of employment in both State and private sectors must be similar as much as possible. The Government should not give into pressure exerted by business tycoons. Making changes in the education sector alone will not solve the issue of unemployed graduates in Sri Lanka.
Nevertheless, both school and university curricula must undergo a drastic transformation, with emphasis placed on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, which are the areas where more new jobs are available. More girls and women should also be encouraged to study these in-demand subjects in order to break the ‘glass ceiling’ that limits opportunities for women in certain jobs. If these changes are made, the term ‘unemployed graduate’ will be a thing of the past.
