Uni dons’ issues considered before budget

By Ifham Nizam, Ceylon Today

President Mahinda Rajapaksa will take into consideration the demands and proposals of the university teachers prior to the preparation of the national budget in November, a senior minister said yesterday.

Answering questions during the weekly media briefing, Cabinet Spokesperson, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said, of the nearly 200 countries, only 36 countries considered the most developed nations in the world like the US, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada allocate six per-cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to the education sector.

He also said that majority of these countries depend on the private sector for 95% of the contribution to the sector.

Rambukwella said they have no issues in granting even a seven per- cent increase, but the demands need to be practical. Citing examples, he said, the cost factor to the government to produce an engineer through free public education from primary to tertiary level was more than six per-cent of the GDP. He said that such factors should be taken into consideration when quoting percentages.

While appreciating the services rendered by the university teachers, they should act with restraint and not use the students as pawns to secure their benefits, he cautioned.

The Cabinet Spokesperson also said that the government welcomed intellectuals highlighting and taking up issues relevant to an important sector like education but called for a practical approach.