by Maheen Senanayake "We want the students to return to their academic program as it is important to catch up on lost time", Chandragupta Thenuwara, President, FUTA said at a press conference organized by the Federation of University Teachers’ Association (FUTA) at the Academic Centre of the Colombo University last week.
FUTA explained that they are requesting the students currently in their 140-odd days of picketing to return for academic sessions.
Following the arbitrary reduction of the Allied Health Services (AHS) degree from four years including clinical practice to three years, student of the program have been engaged in continuous protests for months.
"The AHS is an integral part of healthcare worldwide and Sri Lanka lacked recognized and professional training opportunities in this sector. Allied health and nursing degree programs were started in the state universities here in 2006", said Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri, Past President of FUTA.
He also said there is now a tendency to make academic programs more professionally oriented. But if you look at the AHS degree, which is perhaps a good and proper example of this, the professional bodies begin to object.
According to the
Secretary, Ministry of Higher Education, "the GMOA is objecting to
this." But when asked why, no one seems to be able to explain this. The
GMOA has covertly worked to remove the fourth year of clinical
practice because, as a GMOA source who wished to remain anonymous said,
"the GMOA fears that these people with a four year degree may even seek
positions in medical administration which means that they fear being
governed by nurses and physiotherapists".
"The point we are trying to make today is that the degree, even in this form, will only be available if the students return to class," said Thenuwara.
Why the request is being made today and not yesterday or tomorrow, Dewasiri said "That is a good question but essentially the people have now been made aware of the issue with the AHS degree and there is a good chance of a solution by a Parliamentary Select Committee."
The AHS degree began in five universities in 2006. According to a release by the FUTA citing the Supreme Court ruling (SC application no 119/ 2008) the following determination was made.
- No future intake of students for Allied Health Sciences degrees without consulting all parties.
- Clinical training for the first three batches of FAHS / Peradeniya students should be provided at the Kurunegala Hospital.
- At the 801st UGC meeting on 7.4.2010 it decided to reduce the duration of all AHS degree programs form four to three years.
According to Thenuwara "the Ministry of Higher Education and the UGC have clearly stated (even to Parliament) that they favour the four-year AHS degrees. Therefore it is unclear as to why this current crisis cannot be resolved.
Participants at the press conference including members of the AHS faculty also noted that the point is that it is time for the struggle to take a new form and dimension and for the students to resume their academic work.
"We are not owners of the problem but one of the stakeholders. Also we must reiterate that the students haven’t yet agreed to stop the picketing. We are just clarifying our position on the matter", Dewasiri said.
