Lecturers at State universities staged silent protests during the lunch break yesterday (2), demanding permanent solutions to long-standing issues affecting the university system.
The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) said lecturers from all State universities participated in the protest and warned that further trade union (TU) action would be launched next week if the Government failed to address their concerns.
FUTA Secretary Senior Lecturer Charudaththe Illangasinghe said nearly 1,000 lecturers had left the State university system in recent years, while annual student admissions had increased from around 25,000 in 2015 to approximately 45,000 today.
He said the FUTA had raised concerns with the Government soon after it assumed office and submitted proposals for their resolution. However, the Government had failed to implement the proposals or agreements reached during discussions, he alleged.
Illangasinghe said the FUTA had also held discussions with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Prime Minister and Higher Education Minister Harini Amarasuriya, while submitting written communications outlining the problems facing State universities.
He said around 5,800 lecturers were employed in State universities in 2015, when approximately 25,000 students were admitted annually. Although admissions have since risen to around 45,000, nearly 1,000 lecturers have left the system. While vacancies have been opened for some academic positions, lecturers are not applying for many of them, he said.
“The collapse of the system would mean the collapse of the country’s future,” Illangasinghe said, warning that lecturers were prepared to take further TU action if the Government failed to respond.
He said the FUTA had been discussing these issues with the authorities for nearly two years and had now decided to begin a continuous protest campaign.
Meanwhile, the FUTA announced that it would not conduct academic activities for the next batch of students, comprising last year’s (2025) General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (A/L) cohort, if its demands were not addressed.
Speaking to The Daily Morning, FUTA Assistant Secretary Prof Aruna Wanninayake said universities were already operating at maximum capacity, with inadequate facilities and a shortage of lecturers.
“We have been demanding a discussion from the Higher Education Ministry because the universities don’t have enough facilities and lecturers are leaving for overseas. Compared to 2020, more lecturers have gone abroad in 2025, while the number of students admitted has doubled since 2020,” he said.
Prof Wanninayake said the shortage of lecturers had increased the workload of those remaining, affecting the quality of education.
The FUTA said student admissions had increased significantly without a corresponding expansion of hostels, canteens, study areas, washrooms, lecture halls and other facilities.
The FUTA further announced that it would launch a full-day token strike on 9 September if its demands were not addressed.
“All around the country, we held a silent protest during the lunch break today. Almost all lecturers joined to warn the Government of what could come,” Wanninayake said. “If the Government does not mediate, we will hold a full-day symbolic strike on 9 September.”
Attempts to contact the University Grants Commission and Deputy Education Minister Dr Madhura Senevirathna proved futile.