Govt agreeable to five FUTA demands in university lecturers’ issue

The Higher Education Ministry yesterday issued a special announcement under the signature of its Secretary Dr. Sunil Jayarathna over issues arising from the university lecturers’ protest campaign.

According to the Higher Education Ministry’s announcement, a joint Cabinet proposal was forwarded under the title “ The Government’s policy and Standpoint on Education and Higher Education” on August 29 under the signatures of Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake and Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa.

This Cabinet proposal has agreed with five demands made by the Federation of University Teachers Association (FUTA) except the demand for a salary increase.

The details of the Cabinet proposal include the following:

1.A large percentage of the GDP to be spent for education on par with international standards.

The government intends to invest a higher percentage of the GDP methodically on Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, Elders,’ Technological and Vocational Training and Scientific Research.

To increase the quantity and quality of education to meet with the local and international demands.

2.The University lecturers will be considered a special vocational category and a special committee will be appointed representing all parties to education.

The government has planned to offer due recognition for university Dons and to adopt a proper methodology to enroll the best quality university lecturers and to stabilize the service of experts and veteran lecturers inside universities and to bring down all overseas Sri Lankan intellectuals.

3 A special Presidential Committee is to be established to make the proposals and suggestions to be introduced in the Higher Education sector.

The government’s prime objective is to make Sri Lanka the hub of knowledge in Asia based on knowledge economy. Therefore, to make that dream true a Presidential committee would be established to make the recommendations in this regard.

4 . A separate university will be set up for post graduate degrees. While maintaining the state run universities by developing their quality and productivity, a separate university is to be set up within four years with a profound knowledgeable panel of professional lecturers . The service of both local and foreign experts will also be provided in this university to share local knowledge with a broad international dimension.

5 Safeguarding proper maintenance and independence of unversity. The government as per with the University Act (amended) 1978 will safeguard the independence of universities and will ensure the proper maintenance of the universities.

6 The contribution of university communities will also be taken into consideration when introducing educational reforms in universities.

7. All higher education institutions will be standardized. The government accepts that all universities, vocational and technical universities should be maintained with an international recognized manner and the infrastructure facilities to be increased for research facilities.

8. The service of university Dons will be sought for national development. Cabinet proposal was drafted with the representation of FUTA members and a copy of it was handed over to them on August 30 under the Education Ministry Secretary’s signature. Accordingly, approval for the Cabinet paper was granted on August 29 and the Cabinet decision was sent to Secretary to the President, Economic Development Ministry Secretary and Higher Education Ministry Secretary. The government has already implemented some of the proposals of the Cabinet paper.

They include:

1.The Higher Education Ministry has already handed over responsibility to the University Grants Commission to appoint a special committee with power vested in them to implement agreements of the university staff and authorities and to engage in a productive dialogue with the university lecturers. The nominations for the university communities and other parties are also being received these days.

2. The agreement framework of the Presidential Commission to make the recommendations to make Sri Lanka a hub of education. This Presidential Commission is to be appointed in a few weeks. Nominations in this regard are also called for.

3. In addition, to accepting university staff as a special professional caegory, the recommendation will be forwarded by the above mentioned committee very soon.