An appeal to Higher Education Ministry Secy.

July 1, 2012, 7:56 pm , the island

As a regular reader of Island, I was pleased that a report in The Island on 30 June quoted a letter by you, Dr Sunil Jayantha Navaratne, Education Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, to the academic staff members of the universities, that gave details of the increases in salaries and allowances that they had received during 2011 and 2012. I am quoting a few extracts from the reported letter that pointed out the increases:

Salary of Senior professor: 73.88% Salary of Professor: 69.73% Salary of Senior lecturer: 61.13% Salary of Lecturer: 53.39%% Salary of all the academic staff: average 66% Preparing question papers of university students: 400% Payment for evaluating question papers of internal students: 400% Payment for evaluating question papers of post graduate students: 150 % Payment for conducting visiting lectures: 200%

The increases that the academic staff members have received are impressive and enviable, and I am certain that these moves will go a long way to making Sri Lanka the Knowledge Hub of Asia.

For the benefit of many readers like the writer, who are ignorant of the amount that the academic staff receive as salary and the allowances following the increase, please give this information as well. Those who value higher education will be most grateful to you for providing them with this vital information.

Gamini Premadasa