Mass support for FUTA ‘March’ swell

Tuesday, 25 September 2012 14:00, Lanka Truth

 

People’s support for the ‘March’ organized by the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) is growing day by day say reports.
The ‘March’ launched by FUTA demanding the government to allocate 6% of GNP for education in the country and solutions for several other grievances commenced from Galle yesterday (24th) and reached Ambalangoda in the evening.
The ‘March’ commenced its second phase today from Ambalandoda bus stand amidst a large gathering. The ‘March’ has passed Balapitiya and Ahungalla and has reached Kosgoda.
It is reported that people have gathered in large numbers on the side of the roads, encouraging university teachers and treating them to sweets and soft drinks. Students have queued up to salute their teachers who have joined the ‘March’ say reports.
Representatives of political parties joined the ‘March’ today as well. The President of National Trade Union Center (NTUC) K.D. Lal Kanthe, the National Organizer of Socialist Youth Union Bimal Ratnayake, Member for southern PC Nalin Hewage and the National Organizer of All Ceylon Fishermen’s Federation Ratna Gamage were present representing the JVP while representatives of several opposition political parties were present.
The second phase of the ‘March’ will end at Aluthgama. Tomorrow the next phase of the ‘March’ will commence from Aluthgama and will end at Kalutara.

Kelaniya lecturers refute claim they returned to work

Date:2012-09-26 04:16:00

By Aisha Nazim, Ceylon Today Refuting government’s claim that Kelaniya University dons  have reported to work, academics of the University yesterday  said they are ‘very much’ involved in the ongoing strike. The Federation of  University Teachers’ Association (FUTA)  spokesperson Dr. Mahim Mendis pointed out the medical  faculties of universities did not join the strike action; yet the Higher Education Ministry authorities continued to highlight the fact that  medical faculty academics of the Kelaniya University reported to work  regardless of the trade union action. “The medical faculties never took part in our continuous strike. So stating  that the Kelaniya University academics are not supportive of our demands  is misleading and untrue,” Dr. Mendis told Ceylon Today. Meanwhile, the University of Kelaniya Teachers’ Association (UoKTA) Joint  Secretary Professor Hemantha Sirisena vehemently denied their academics were reporting to work regardless of the collective trade union action. Issuing a media statement, Professor Sirisena asserted that despite the Higher  Education Minister’s statements that academic activities in the Kelaniya University  are functioning smoothly, academic programs including lectures, field work and practical programs  have been completely disrupted due to the strike. “The authorities claim the academic programmes are continuing smoothly is made  by using manipulated statistics in a malicious effort to mislead the general public and university students. This is another malicious effort to jeopardize FUTA’s trade  union action,” he charged. Meanwhile, Dr. Mendis said the medical faculties of the Universities of  Sri Jayawardenapura and Colombo will also join the strike action shortl

Second phase of the FUTA’s 118-km-long march from Galle to Colombo September 25, 2012, 12:00 pm

The tragedy of Universities

September 25, 2012, 7:41 pm , The Island


It is an unbelievable tragedy that in a country such as ours where education is highly valued, that the universities have remained closed for almost three months, without causing a public outcry. It reflects the new apathy of our people.

Since we are now approaching budget day and since there are persistent rumors of a cabinet reshuffle, I would like to make a few simple suggestions which may offer some hope of a settlement, even though they will be nowhere near the aspirations of FUTA and way above what the governments seems to want to do. It is more to do with reallocation of resources for more efficient use, rather than increasing resources for education in the immediate future.

1. Bring ALL of central government activity in education under one ministry – The Ministry of Education – as it used to be. This will include Universities, National schools, Vocational education (including technical education, agriculture, nursing, teacher training etc), Examinations, NIE and other similar institutions. There will be just one minister and one parliamentary secretary (junior minister). This will release a reasonable amount of resources now wasted in salaries and wages, rent, transport (vehicles) etc.

2. Effect similar economies in the Universities (abolish posts of Deputy Vice Chancellors etc) and in schools (abolish the myriad of non-teaching Deputy Principals etc.) releasing more staff for academic activities.

3. Items 1 and 2 above would be feasible if the policy makers do keep to their function, which is to formulate broad policy, without getting themselves burdened with unnecessary day-to-day activities.

4. Increase the salaries of all academic staff (in the Universities and schools) by a nominal 10%, with effect from 1st January 2012, with another projected increase of 10% from January 2013.

5. It should be possible to achieve all this if the government expenditure on education is increased to 3% of GDP from the present 1.9% with the next budget. There should be a simultaneous long-term commitment to increase it to 4% in 2013, 5% in 2014 and 6% in 2016.

The March Of The Academics: The FUTA Marches From Galle To Colombo

Colombo Telegraph

 

By Dr. Liyanage Amarakeerthi from Amabalangoda -

Dr.Liyanage Amarakeerthi

The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations(FUTA) is continuing its trade union action into the third month now. Though the government’s response to the strike has been rather lukewarm with no concrete offers to the strikers so far, the strength of academics is growing steadily. The government, which is still narcissistically arrogant about its own prowess, seems to think that it can ignore the academics until they starve to death after missing their third salary. Yes. They were not paid for three months. Of course some academics who are better known as pro-state ‘yes-men’ than as true academics, did get paid but not the majority of academics who are known for their publications and international standard qualifications. There is a small minority of academics regularly coming to the state-owned media to criticize the striking academics. Everyone cows that these critics are just ‘housekeepers’ of the state. If one asks for their academic credentials they will run for their life. And as usual, some ministerial thugs are beating the drum which is all-too familiar to many of us by now: All these academics are NGO-Funded conspirators!

In the mean time, the FUTA has slowly been reaching the masses with its the most-socially significant message. That is none other than the demand for 6% of GDP for education. Well, it is not everyone’s expense of education. The FUTA demands that the state expenditure on education must reach at least 6% of GDP by the year of 2015 or so. Right now, it is about 1.86% which is the lowest in the region, and almost the lowest in the world! This slogan has captivated many people already including all major political parties. Even the UNP which is traditionally believed to be the local agents of global capitalism, also has been supporting the FUTA’s slogan of 6% of GDP for education.

As a mechanism of pressurizing the government to address its demands, and as an attempt to reach out to the masses with this appealing slogan, the FUTA started a history-making march from from Galle to Colombo today (24th of September). The overnight rain had made in and around the historic Dutch Port rather gloomy by 7am on today. Only one or two organizers were seen protecting themselves from the heavy rain by 8am when the march was supposed to begin. In a magical moment of nature, the sun appeared all of a sudden and the opening ceremony of the march took place. All the religious readers of the multicultural Galle had arrived. As usual the dominance of the Buddhism in our culture was visible but it did almost no harm to the multicultural nature of the gathering. Buddhist monks, Catholic, Christian, Hindu, Muslim priests, Marxists, who are supposed to be atheists, some UNPers belonging all religions were there. The FUTA had invited everyone who supports the 6% of GDP demand regardless of their political inclinations. So, there were Sajith Premadasa, Sarath Fonseka, Mangala Samaraweera, Jayalah Jayawadane, Vijitha Herath, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Sirithunga Jayasuriya to name a few. The elite participants belonged to a wide spectrum political colors which no one can claim to be biased to any one party.

So the march began with a rainbow of political colors. But the actual rain returned soon. But it only highlighted the dedication of the participants. Nearly three thousand marchers defied the heavy rain and, with theirs cloths soaked, nearly all of them stayed on the course.

Even in the heavy rain, people stopped by the road to encourage the marchers. The FUTA leadership led the march while the others followed. Regardless of their own political identities, the politicians walked under the banners supporting the slogans about education putting aside their party colors.

The success of the FUTA is of course has been its unprecedented ability to get people to support a common slogan. The FUTA was able to convince a considerable number of people that the free education has been a social revolution in Sri Lanka, and the free education has been the single most important factor making Sri Lanka a success story in social-democratic programs such as free education and free health care. That is why the FUTA’s message has been dear to everyone who listens to it. This march will only gather people around this most socially significant trade union action in the recent history.

Soaking my cloths in rain, I finished the the first leg of the march from Galle to Ambalangoda with my  spirited colleagues. When I finish this note, at 9pm, I am already feeling that I have been a part of a historical event.

பல்கலைக்கழக மாணவர் ஒன்றியத்தின் மாபொரும் எதிர்ப்புப் பேரணி; பெரதேனியாவில் ஆரம்பம்

Uthayan           இலவசக் கல்வியையும் கல்விச் சுதந்திரத்தையும் வெற்றிக்கொள்வதற்கு அணித்திரள்வோம் எனும் தொனிப்பொருளில் அனைத்துப் பல்கலைக்கழக மாணவர் ஒன்றியத்தின் ஏற்ப்பாட்டில் பாரிய ஆர்ப்பாட்டப் பேரணி பெரதேனியா பல்கலைக்கழகத்தில் இன்று காலை ஆரம்பமாகியது. தனியார் பல்கலைக்கழகங்களுக்கு அனுமதி வழங்காதே உயர்தர பரீட்சையில் சித்தியடைந்த அனைத்து மாணவர்களுக்கும் பல்கலைக்கழகத்திற்கு அனுமதி வழங்கு போன்ற கோரிக்கைகளை தாங்கிய பதாதைகளை ஏந்தியவாறு மாணவர்கள் பேரணியில் கலந்து கொண்டுள்ளனர். இன்று ஆரம்பமான இந்த எதிர்ப்பு பேரணி எதிர்வரும் 28ம் திகதி கொழும்பை வந்தடையவுள்ளதாகத் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. கண்டி கொழும்பு பிரதான வீதியை அடைந்துள்ள பேரணி இன்று மாவனெல்லை வரை முன்னெடுக்கப்படவுள்ளது.

Malaka aspires to be Education Minister in SL

Monday, 24 September 2012 16:33, DailyMirror

Minister Mervyn Silva’s son Malaka has made a request to leave the country for higher education purposes, to fulfill his aspiration of one day becoming Sri Lanka’s Education Minister.

President’s Council Hemantha Warnakulasooriya appearing on behalf of Malaka Silva informed court that his client was expecting to enter an American University.

Accordingly, Colombo Fort Magistrate has permitted Malaka to be away from October 5 to November 7 but he was ordered to appear in court on November 26. (Lakmal Sooriyagoda)

Large crowds for university teachers’ ‘March’

Monday, 24 September 2012 21:40, Lanka Truth

It is reported that the protest march launched by university teachers commenced from Galle today (24th) morning and reached Ambalangoda in the evening.
University teachers, representatives of trade unions and representatives from opposition political parties participated in the ‘March’.
Despite heavy rains a large number of people have participated in the March and it received tremendous response from masses on the way say our reporters.
Meanwhile, the protest ‘March’ begun by university students from Kandy was expected to reach Mawanella this evening.

Open letter to VCS

September 24, 2012, 7:19 pm , The Island


The recent letter captioned above, by Mahesan Niranjan, Professor of Electronics and Computer Science at The University of Southampton, is praiseworthy, as he had given a very unbiased view of the situation prevailing in our universities and what prevails in foreign universities. One statement which caught my eye is" Secondly, you all, as heads of universities, must know the purpose of a university - that of creating and disseminating knowledge - that is best achieved in an environment of MINIMAL POLITICAL INTERFERENCE.

Just look at how universities in more successful environments operate. In our blessed Sri Lanka, all institutions are politicised, including universities, and appointments to the highly respected position of Vice-Chancellor is based on political favouritism as correctly stated by Prof. Mahesan Niranjan.

In another daily newspaper, a writer has questioned why the Chancellors of the respective universities, have not taken any steps to collectively represent their matters to the government, together with university lecturers. This is mainly due to appointing those with no knowledge of managerial and administrative skills. At least now the government should consider suitable, honest persons, to reduce tension in universities and to go a step further in the education sphere.

S. Weeraman,

Acting Education Minister

September 24, 2012, 10:31 pm , The Island

Senior Minister of Rural Affairs Athauda Seneviratne has been appointed acting Minister of Education by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

He will act during the absence of education minister Bandula Gunawardena, who has gone to Seoul to represent Sri Lanka at the signing of an agreement with Gwanguo Metropolitan Education Institute of the Korean Government.