IUSF accuses govt. of cutting allocations to education

October 23, 2011, 9:25 pm


by Dasun Edirisinghe

The JVP affiliated powerful students union IUSF claimed yesterday that the government while allowing private educational institutions in Sri Lanka, has cut down the funds for state sector education next year, according to the appropriation bill presented to parliament on Oct. 18.

Convener of the Inter University Students Federation, Sanjeewa Bandara told The Island that the government had allocated 2.6 per cent on school education out of the total expenditure, down from 3 per cent last year.

For the higher education sector, the government allocated 2 per cent from the total expenditure last year but this time it was 1.9 per cent, he said.

"President Rajapaksa’s government cut down funds for both school education and higher education from 2007," Sanjeewa said adding that it was paving the way for privatising free education system.

He said that Rajapaksa government had cut down the capital expenditure on education by 50 per cent since 2005.

The government allocated Rs 8044 for the national schools in 2007 and it had been reduced to Rs. 3869 million in 2011. The reduction is over 50 per cent, said Bandara.

He said that the government allocated Rs. 9483 for higher education in 2010 and it was reduced to Rs. 8118 million in 2011. The government had cut down Rs. 1370 from higher education sector in 2011.

"Rajapaksa government has allocated the lowest percentage to the education sector from the Gross Domestic Production in the history." The government, he said, did not increase at least Mahapola payments of undergraduates but gave tax concessions to the private higher education institutions.

According to their calculations, the Mahapola payments should be increased to Rs. 4000 with the current cost of living, but it was still Rs. 1500.

"We will protest to force the government to increase the allocations for the education," said Bandara.