‘FUTA protest politicized’

*‘University lecturers’ demands impracticable’

*‘Can affect university education system’

Ishara MUDUGAMUWA

The University Academics’ Association to Protect the Rights of Children yesterday condemning the FUTA action said this could lead to the destruction of the university education system.

Addressing the media at the Sri Lanka Library Services Board yesterday, university academics said the university lectures’ protest is fully politicized and their demands impracticable. Sri Lanka Open University, Department of Mathematics and Engineering lecturer Nimsiri Jayasinghe said the demand for allocating six percent of the GDP to education is also not reasonable.

“Striking university academics show that some countries allocate more than six percent from the GDP to the education sector. These countries have low literacy rates.

They allocate more funds for education to enhance the literacy rate. But, Sri Lanka is a country with a high literacy rate,” he said.

He said striking academics always highlight that the government only allocates 1.8 percent from the GDP.

“Education is provided by not only the Education Ministry. There are many other education institutes running under various ministries, such as, Technical Colleges,

nursing schools, defense university, etc. So altogether the government allocates 4.8 percent from the GDP to the education sector.

“All university academics have a responsibility to support the government using their knowledge without demanding money from it. They can do researches and invent new sources of development.” he said.

The lecturer also said it is unfair for university academics to ask for salary increments as they get a good salary compared to other vocations.

Peradeniya University Deputy Vice Chancellor Prof. Shantha Hennayake said the responsibility of a trade union is to protect employment and the institution. But FUTA is different and it tries to destroy the country’s university system.

A university lecturer has a respectable job and they should spend their time in lecture halls, laboratories, libraries and not on roads. So this FUTA’s trade union action has also damaged the professional dignity of university academics.

Senior Student Adviser Ajith Dissanayake said the university, according to the statistics of the Higher Education Ministry Per Student Investments in Public Investments in Higher Education has increased up to Rs.257, 387, which was Rs.96, 651 in 2000.

“The demand by university teachers for a salary increase is very unreasonable as the government has already agreed to increase their salaries in several stages. As the first phase of their salary increments, a senior professors’ salary has been increased by between 73 and 88 percent. The government also plans to increase a senior lecturers’ salary by 78,426.25 which presently stands at 172, 227.75.

“The salaries of other university academics will also be increased and the minimum salary will be Rs.74,770.” he said.

Kelaniya University Senior Lecturer Mahendra Gunawardane, Colombo University,Department of Chemistry lecturer Rohan P.Perera and other university academics participated in the occasion.