Prelate advices FUTA: Take your troubles to President Rajapaksa

August 14, 2012, 10:11 pm , The Island

By Cyril Wimalasurendre

KANDY: The Most Venerable Mahanayaka of Malwatte, Tibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera yesterday (14) told a deputation, from the Federation of University Teachers Association (FUTA), that the grievances of the university academics should be forwarded to President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The deputation was told that President Rajapaksa was giving a hearing to the grievances of all sectors and had come out with panacea for many issues. "Hence, why not take your demands to President Rajapaksa?"

Responding to views expressed by the university teachers, the Mahanayaka Thero said that the five forces (Pancha Maha Bala Vegaya), formed in 1956, had met present challenges.

He said the position today was that the ‘Pancha Maha Bala Vegaya’ had been thrown out.

When reminded that there was unrest and dissatisfaction in all sectors of education such as teachers, students and university students, the prelate remarked that teachers played an important role in the Pancha Maha Bala Vegaya of 1956.

Ven. Prof. Hanguranketha Dheerananda Thero, Prof. H. M. Navaratne Bandara, Prof. H. M. R. D. Herath, Dr. Ananda Jayawickrema, Dr. M. Meegaskumbura and Dr. Lakshman Nugapitiya were among the representative who met the Mahanayaka Thero.

The deputation told the prelate that their grievances were not mainly based on the salary but on the step-motherly attitude towards education in the country in general.

Problems had propped up in the education sector from pre-school to the university. The private universities were sprouting up while the State-run universities were forced to face risks and challenges, they told the prelate.

Funds for the State universities had been drastically reduced by the government, the deputation charged.

Even in the appointment of Vice Chancellors of Universities, the University Grants Commission should be more liberal the deputation said.