- Academics warn of prolonged crisis in university system
The Federation of University Teachers' Associations (FUTA) said yesterday (17) that lengthy discussions with Prime Minister and Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya had failed to produce solutions to several pressing issues affecting the university system.
The discussion, held at the Education Ministry in Isurupaya, Battaramulla, continued until around 10 p.m., with university academics from across the country taking part amid what FUTA described as the urgency of resolving the crisis.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, FUTA President Prof. Ruchika Fernando said the discussions focused particularly on the admission of new students, the extended period students spend in universities and the shortage of academic staff.
“Regarding the admission of new students, the time that students spend in universities and the shortage of academic staff, we paid greater attention to these issues. But, no solution was reached during the discussions,” he said.
Prof. Fernando said FUTA had previously discussed the issues with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, following which the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Committee of Vice-Chancellors (VCs) and Directors had prepared proposals aimed at expediting student admissions.
He said FUTA had also held discussions with the Prime Minister in April, but was informed during Wednesday's meeting that the proposals had still not reached the Presidential Secretariat.
“We were surprised to learn that the proposals we had been waiting for action on for nearly a year had still not reached the relevant authorities,” Prof. Fernando said.
FUTA Secretary Senior Lecturer Charudaththe Illangasinghe said academics had participated in the lengthy meeting due to the urgency of finding solutions to the problems confronting the university system.
He alleged that the Government did not appear to share the same level of urgency in addressing the issues.
“The Government cannot talk about education because it does not have the necessary interest in it,” Illangasinghe said, adding that FUTA would decide on its future course of action in response to the situation.
Meanwhile, Dr Amarasuriya stressed that universities must take measures to ensure that students subjected to ragging have confidence in investigations into such incidents.
The issue was discussed at a meeting of the Subcommittee on Higher Education under the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, held at Parliament under her chairmanship.
The meeting also examined vacancies in the higher education sector, particularly at universities. Dr Amarasuriya questioned university Vice-Chancellors over the failure to fill vacancies for which appointments had already been approved by the Higher Education Ministry.
She instructed officials to take measures to fill the approved vacancies expeditiously and stressed that investigations into ragging incidents must be efficient and effective, enabling relief to be provided to affected students without delay.