HNDE course shifts to Mattakkuliya
by
Saman Indrajith
The first batch of students of Higher National Diploma in Engineering (HNDE) course conducted in Labuduwa centre will be shifted today to Mattakkuliya following students’ requests over several years.
The first batch of students of Higher National Diploma in Engineering (HNDE) course conducted in Labuduwa centre will be shifted today to Mattakkuliya following students’ requests over several years.
"Shifting the course from Labuduwa Advanced Technical Institute (ATI) to
Mattakkuliya ATI is appreciated but it is not the end of the problems HNDE course
has," said the President of the HNDE Students’ Council Chamara Ranawaka
yesterday.
"At the beginning of Labuduwa ATI, we indicated that it would be a failure, but
the educational authorities who couldn’t see practical aspects went on and
established the institute," he said.
Authorities just attempted to provide a plaster-solution of shifting only one batch to
Mattakkuliya and keeping one batch at Labuduwa. "Shift both batches to Mattakkuliya
where required resources are available and the cost is lower. And then take us under a
capable administrative structure. The current administrative body, Sri Lanka Institute of
Advanced Technical Education (SLIATE) cannot cater to the requirements of an engineering
course." he said.
The SLIATE is administering nine other national level diploma courses but does not have
enough financial resources to maintain a HNDE course. "That’s why we are against
decentralization of the course without upgrading it and without re-establishing it under a
proper body of administration," Ranawaka said.
Secretary of the Students Council, Rasika Mendis added that students are fed up of the
poor administrative structure and lack of facilities. "The majority want to give up
the course if authorities would not take any action to find solutions for prevailing
problems. No welfare facilities for students and lecturers. So, students and lecturers
want to abandon the course. More than 35 lecturers have left teaching as the salary and
welfare facilities are very poor and they can find better jobs for qualifications they
have," he indicated.
The HNDE course was introduced to the country in 1986. It was institutionalized in
accordance with the structure of the Business and Technology Education Council-BITEC, of
Britain and it was meant to follow a course curriculum of Bolton University’s
engineering course which produced middle level engineers. Started in 1986 at Ratmalana,
authorities thought this would be a better solution for the A/L maths students who could
not enter universities. Thus, they started to spread it without considering the
feasibility of the course of study. The course was started in Aruppola in Kandy but in the
following year there were practical problems, he explained.
"Later, the programme was taken to Badulla in 1988 where it could not succeed.
After that it was again Akmeemana in Labuduwa in 1999 and still the problems faced by the
students of 1987 at Kandy are existing and we are to face them, thanks to the advanced
knowledge of our policy makers," he added.
Politicos, especially some former ministers wanted to establish the course in Labuduwa
and another tried to establish it in Kandy were some examples of attempts by ministers to
set this institute in their electorates. But, students finally have to pay for these
short-sighted plans of politicians, he lamented.
Deputy Director General of SLIATE, R. A. D. Hemachandra Ranatunge has instructed the
directors of Labuduwa and Mattakkuliya in his letter dated May 18th, 2001 that the Council
of the SLIATE has approved to grant permission for students who have completed their first
year theory classes and are unable to enter the second year due to non-completion of
practicals to be absorbed into the first year classes at Mattakkuliya.
