Striving to plug up the brain drain

The results of the 2021 G.C.E. Advanced Level examination were released last Sunday. According to the Commissioner General of Examinations, of the 272,682 candidates who sat the exam only 63% qualify for university admission. Even more disheartening is that local university capacity remains at around 41,000 seats, meaning that for every four candidates that qualify, only one can enter a local university. 

While some forego tertiary education altogether, others pursue technical qualifications and even look to study abroad. Nevertheless, not all students who secure a seat decide to take it. Take Rithmaka Karunadhara for example. After an illustrious schooling career at Ananda College, Colombo; Rithmaka, who sat for the Arts Stream in the 2020 A/Ls had passed with flying colours.

“I was not expecting 3As since I was so busy in school, but maybe that’s why I was 0.0004 points short of Colombo Law on my Z score,” he recalls. The Colombo Arts Faculty was his best option, although he admits not having given much thought to either. Even after sitting the exam, with prefectship, debating, and drama taking much of his time, higher education paths were not something he had received guidance on. 

However, after a social media post about his results, he was contacted by The Strivers Network (TSN) – a youth-led organisation aiming to democratise access to top global universities and scholarships for Sri Lanka’s under-served high-achievers. With free resources, consultations, mentoring, and guidance on SAT preparation, he applied for a full scholarship; he was set to be the first person in his immediate family to study abroad. “The experience was daunting, but at least I knew I stood a better chance than before,” he adds.

While there are many institutional players in the foreign university placement market, TSN is one of the few non-profits operating in this space. TSN which has thus far focused on United States admissions is unique in its mission. According to TSN founding member Rivi Wijesekera, they not only help students realise their potential in applying but also provide a solution to an unsustainable brain drain. 

By increasing knowledge sharing and encouraging highly skilled workforce participation, students do come back, or at the very least, work abroad and spend in their home country. The most notable example is that of a Ghanaian software engineer turned educator Patrick Awuah. Born in rural Ghana, he attended Swarthmore College, a top-3 liberal arts college in the US, on full financial aid. After finishing his degree and working at Microsoft, he founded Ashesi University in Ghana, now the highest-ranked institute there. US universities are the most financially endowed in the world and have adopted an equitable ‘need-based’ fee strategy. This means that candidates from a wealthier background are expected to pay in full, as opposed to a foreign student from a lesser developed country. “While this benefits Sri Lankan candidates, it’s the focus on ‘holistic admissions’ that allow our high achievers to stand out from the applicant pool,” says Rivi. While academic performance is heavily scrutinised, the onus is on the individual to participate and perform according to their own interests, developing acumen and skill as they go. At times, this complicates determining whether a candidate has a good chance of being selected. In Rithmaka’s opinion, being an extracurricular all-rounder made him stand out, more so than his academic profile.

Another service provided by institutions such as TSN is addressing the misinformation surrounding the application process, especially around affordability. Scholarship packages usually include living expenses and full boarding expenses on top of tuition fees. Some programs even have flights and health insurance covered; bringing the total scholarship value to approximately 320,000 dollars for a four-year course.  According to Rivi, this is normal for US universities but it ranges by the institution and favours liberal arts degrees. Liberal Arts courses in the US also allow students to make a more informed choice in their final area of study, as most require students to declare their subject area of choice in the second year. 

“I went from not having any idea of what to study, to having too many,” now spoilt-for-choice Rithmaka expresses, lamenting about his younger brother. With a budding interest in psychology, he was disappointed to learn the local university system does not offer a program in the field. 

His father, a printshop owner, and his mother, a homemaker, must see their youngest son through the local system, while hoping for the best. “While education is a privilege and I’m a proud recipient of it so far, I believe we should not turn a blind eye to its shortcomings,” states Rithmaka. With a directorial debut now under his belt, Rithmaka finds himself at Bowdoin College with full financial aid covering tuition, room, and board.