Pera U’grads protest against ‘leadership’ training

November 22, 2012, 9:35 pm , the island

by Dasun Edirisinghe

Undergraduates, of the Peradeniya University, protested at the Galaha Junction, blocking the Colombo – Kandy road, against the leadership training programme for university freshers.

President of the Students’ Council Janaka Madushan told The Island that the government was now putting new undergraduates through military training claiming it was leadership training.

He said that several students were injured during last year’s training, but the government did not compensate them.

"We marched from the University to Galaha junction and held a demonstration there," Madushan said adding that they would continue this protest with other universities joining in.

The Higher Education Ministry had planned to commence the leadership training programme, for the next batch of university entrants on Dec. 27 at 25 centres countrywide.

Secretary to the Higher Education Ministry Dr. Sunil Jayantha Navaratne said that this year, the leadership training programme had to be postponed twice, in May and November, due to university teachers demanding that it be delayed until they submitted their recommendations.

"We planned to start this year’s leadership training programme in three batches consisting of 9,000 students each," Dr. Navaratne said.

He added that this time 26,721 students would undergo the leadership training programme in military and police establishments countrywide from Dec. 27 to Jan. 13.

"We consulted Vice Chancellors and faculty boards of all universities before deciding on the dates for this year’s programme," Dr. Navaratne said adding they made several changes in the programme following VCs comments.