The Presidential Commission appointed inquires into the Advanced Level results crisis has handed over its reports to the president, sources said.Wednesday, January 11, 2012
A/L inquiry committee hands over report
The Presidential Commission appointed inquires into the Advanced Level results crisis has handed over its reports to the president, sources said.
Sri Lankan university students agitate against alleged attack by security personnel
Wed, Jan 11, 2012, 11:34 am SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Jan 11, Colombo: Students of Sri Lanka's Sabaragamuwa University are agitating against an attack on two students allegedly by the security personnel Tuesday night.
The Inter University Students' Federation (IUSF) says three students had been assaulted by security personnel deployed in the University through the state-owned Rakna Lanka security firm.
The three students had been on their way back to their hostel from the study room when they had been attacked near the university auditorium.
The IUSF observed that the three students are being treated at the Pambahinna Hospital for injuries sustained during the attack.
According to the IUSF, security has been tightened in the University with the university security guards as well as those assigned by Rakna Lanka, who are mainly retired military personnel.
The IUSF notes that students at the Sabaragamuwa University have now commenced agitating calling for action to be taken against the security personnel who have allegedly attacked the students.
Group of uni. students trying to launch armed struggle: SB
Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake charged today that a group of university students in the south were trying to team up youth who were involved with the LTTE at that time to launch another armed struggle. Addressing a function at the Jaffna University, the Minister said that these students have political dealings with the breakaway group of the JVP.
He said, “These students came to the Jaffna University in search of youth who were with the LTTE at that time. They are trying to go for an armed struggle. We cannot allow that to happen.”
Referring to the facilities at the Jaffna University, he said that Rs.573 million had been allocated to the university this time, and action would be taken to resolve the accommodation problem of students as soon as possible.
He said that Sinhala students had been sent to the Jaffna University based on their Z-score marks at the GCE Advanced Level Examination. “It is not an attempt to create forcible Sinhala colonies in the south,” he said.
Also, he said that the universities were not meant to function on ethnic and religious identities of students.
J’pura Vice Chancellor’s wings clipped
The Secretary of the Higher Education Ministry Dr Sunil Jayantha Nawaratne had instructed the Vice Chancellor of the Jayawardenepura University to obtain as from now on the direction of the recently constituted Consultative Committee when arriving at decisions involving the affairs of the University.
The secretary of the Higher education ministry had issued these instructions at an urgent meeting called in the aftermath of the students engaged in the protest dispersed on a court order on 09 January.
A special consultative committee had been appointed to diffuse the tension that had been created at the University recently. This consultative committee is headed by Prof Mohan De Silva Dean of the Medical Faculty of Sri Jayawardenepura University. It consists of Deans from five faculties and five representatives from the University Lecturers Trade Union. Prof Sunil Ariyaratne, a member of this committee affirmed that it is obligatory for this committee to establish a conciliatory status quo in order to reopen the university without any delay, and the committee would meet to discuss the strategies to be adopted in re opening the university. He was hopeful that the university could re open the three faculties that remain closed by 23 January. Meanwhile the Higher Education Minister S B Dissanayake is scheduled to meet the students’ representatives on 14 January at 10.00 a.m to discuss about the student’s demand for the removal of the Vice Chancellor of J’pura University. Several University lecturers are also expected to participate in this discussion.
PROTESTS OVER A/L RESULTS REVISION
While Dhara Wijetilaka committee worked round the clock yesterday to finalize the report on the GCE A/L results blunder, the academia and the education sector trade unions intensified their protest campaign and urged the government to withdraw the A/L results and re-assess and re-issue them.
The main event would a lecture given by Professor Raffel A Thatil attached to the Agriculture department of the Peradeniya University who invented the Z Score, at 3.00 p.m. at a conference to be held on the issue at the Colombo Public Library.
General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) Joseph Stalin said the conference would be attended by Federation of University Teachers, Organization of Graded Principals, All Ceylon Principals’ Services Union, Education Professionals Association, First Grade Principals Union, Sri Lanka Principals Organization, the CTU, Ceylon United Teachers Union, Ceylon Progressive Teachers Union and Independent Education Employees Union that represent all sections of the national education.
The main event would a lecture given by Professor Raffel A Thatil attached to the Agriculture department of the Peradeniya University who invented the Z Score, at 3.00 p.m. at a conference to be held on the issue at the Colombo Public Library.
General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) Joseph Stalin said the conference would be attended by Federation of University Teachers, Organization of Graded Principals, All Ceylon Principals’ Services Union, Education Professionals Association, First Grade Principals Union, Sri Lanka Principals Organization, the CTU, Ceylon United Teachers Union, Ceylon Progressive Teachers Union and Independent Education Employees Union that represent all sections of the national education.
He added that representatives of all these trade unions were expected to address the conference demanding the suspension of the GC A/L results and immediate resignation of education minister Bandula Gunawardana.
Mr. Stalin added that the Dhara Wijetilaka committee has lost the confidence as it did not take the right path to probe the A/L results blunder.
“The committee should have suspended the results before it started the probe. They haven’t done that and lost the credibility. The public do not know their mandate or the term of reference. We have no doubt that the committee report will not be different from the one that issued after the inquiry of the Katunayaka incident where protests were held against the private pension scheme and led to the killing of an innocent youth.
Meanwhile, the source of the Dhara Wijetilaka Committee said every efforts would be taken to hand over the report to President Mahinda Rajapaksa this afternoon.
Mr. Stalin added that the Dhara Wijetilaka committee has lost the confidence as it did not take the right path to probe the A/L results blunder.
“The committee should have suspended the results before it started the probe. They haven’t done that and lost the credibility. The public do not know their mandate or the term of reference. We have no doubt that the committee report will not be different from the one that issued after the inquiry of the Katunayaka incident where protests were held against the private pension scheme and led to the killing of an innocent youth.
Rajarata University students comply with court order
The students of the Rajarata University who were engaging in a protest campaign against the abrupt closure of their Medical Faculty dispersed yesterday (10) complying with a Court order.
Considering the submissions made to the Anuradhapura Magistrate Court on Sunday (8) by the Police about the hardships due to the protest staged by the students forcibly erecting sheds blocking the Anuradhapura - Medawachchiya Main Road the Magistrate Ruwanthika Marapana ordered Police to remove the sheds and disperse the students and report to courts.
Considering the submissions made to the Anuradhapura Magistrate Court on Sunday (8) by the Police about the hardships due to the protest staged by the students forcibly erecting sheds blocking the Anuradhapura - Medawachchiya Main Road the Magistrate Ruwanthika Marapana ordered Police to remove the sheds and disperse the students and report to courts.
Anuradhapura HQ Chief Police Inspector Gamini Jayasena visited the place of Satyagraha and handed over the court order on the same day.
Students complying with the court order withdrew from the place with the temporary shed in the same night and by the following day morning they continued the protest in a cadjan shed.
The OIC of the Anuradhapura Police who visited the place again thanked for their complying with the court order and also informed to remove the cadjan hut. The ASP further informed the students that their staying in the place also contradictory to the court order, the non-compliance would lead them to arrest and to be produced in court.
Students complying with the court order withdrew from the place with the temporary shed in the same night and by the following day morning they continued the protest in a cadjan shed.
GMOA alleges unfair transfers; pulls out of boards
January 10, 2012, 9:35 pm , The Island.The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) decided yesterday to withdraw from all transfer boards of doctors due to irregular transfers by the Health Ministry.
GMOA in a media release said the decision was taken by its Executive Committee "until the implementation of transparent transfer policy without any bias".
"Government medical officers association made several representations to the Director General and to the Secretary of Health, highlighting the necessity of adherence to the accepted transfer policies and to the Public Service Commission (PSC) orders, with regard to transfer and appointments of all categories of medical officers.
"We regret to note that they have failed to rectify several irregular transfers, despite our repetitive presentations," GMOA Secretary Dr. Chandika Epitakaduwa said in the release.
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