University teachers on strike

17 January 2012 06:37 am - 40 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A A A

University teachers went on an island wide token strike today in protest against the establishment of private universities and the privatisation of free education. The Federation of University Teachers Associations (FUTA) said that the government should refrain from introducing the controversial private universities bill until it is discussed with the university academic community and all other stakeholders. (OJ)

Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka

Comments - 40

ind Tuesday, 17 January 2012 10:53 AM

well said.

who am I Tuesday, 17 January 2012 09:25 AM

Present education Departmen and the ministry are the best.
they make easy to become "miracle of asia"

CDRock Tuesday, 17 January 2012 09:33 AM

I think we need private universities. When something is given to you free, you will loose the value of it. That's what has happened to our university system. Since its free some students don't care whether they get their degree on time or not, they just use the university as a ground to rag, protest, and run a mock with their political motives. And from this the majority of the students who tries to get graduated gets affected. Where were all these strikes and protests when innocent students were ragged and put to hospital? Why cant the lecturers and so called student unions stand up for that? Its shame on these lecturers who don't stand up for what is right.

udeni Tuesday, 17 January 2012 09:27 AM

What is there to strike? Private and affiliated universities are already in existence. May be the uni lecturers wanted another holiday. Rather than being so concerned about the quality of private education they should strive to upgrade their standard without wasting theirs and undergraduates' time.

Kaush Tuesday, 17 January 2012 09:38 AM

I think you need to learn to read. The first line says 'University teachers went on an island wide token strike today in protest against the establishment of private universities and the privatisation of free education'.

Appuhamy Tuesday, 17 January 2012 09:42 AM

Free education in sri lanka completely failed. 21000 students are given university admission while leaving 100000 students out. can we say it is success. Balance 100,000.00 students what they will do.

Prathithaban Tuesday, 17 January 2012 09:42 AM

Sorry to say level of the teaching abilities & knowledge of the most of the lecturers in Sri Lanka universities are very poor. They cant talk three words in english properly. That is why they are scared of Pvt Unis.

dinesh Tuesday, 17 January 2012 10:01 AM

by not introducing private uni, we are depriving many of the citizens from their right to education. If not rest of the people have to go to other countries for their education. This is very sad bcos we are loosing our talents.
It is very important to open private universities.

Nodrog Tuesday, 17 January 2012 10:19 AM

The reason the Students and Uni staff are against private unis is because they know private Unis will overtake them with better quality education and students passing out faster.
Instead of competing they strike....typical loutish behavior!

Mike Tuesday, 17 January 2012 10:17 AM

A clear case of minority ruling over the majority. 20000 get selected to state universities each year. 110000 are left out. The 20000 enjoy education freely sometimes without any dividend for the country. They deny those 110000 of their freedom to choose how they should study further in the name of preserving free education. Free Education or Freedom of Education?

Academic Tuesday, 17 January 2012 09:16 AM

This is odd, because opening private universities should be embraced by the lecturers as it will give them an opportunity to earn some thing extra money from lecturing at these places. Now I think that FUTA is genuinely concerned about the contents of the bill that is supposes to be passed!

Wara Tuesday, 17 January 2012 10:58 AM

Exactly. Those selected minority choose what majority should do after A/L.

shani Tuesday, 17 January 2012 11:03 AM

Inability to speak proper English is not merely the fault of lecturers but also of the education system as a whole. People embraced Swabasha concept in mid 50s, thus English was given the second place. But speaking English is not essential to be a good lecturer unless you are suppose to teach in English. For eg. if we consider Japan or China where they have better ranked Universities than Sri Lanka, most of the academics struggle to speak in English. What needs to be improved in academia is the quality of research, ability to carry out research and funding, in addition to teaching. I think being in the developing world, the focus of Sri Lankan academics all this time was teaching but not research. However, if we are planning to compete with global trend what needs to be improved is research side.

AMT Tuesday, 17 January 2012 11:14 AM

They would have definitely passed in Mathematics at O/L

Nodrog Tuesday, 17 January 2012 11:21 AM

if having a degree means acting these fools then no!

Suny J Tuesday, 17 January 2012 11:24 AM

who ranked the pakistan uni ? is it the government ?

ABC Tuesday, 17 January 2012 12:07 PM

Most of lecturers of FUTA are from art faculties. They do not have oppertunities. However, there should be some restriction for state universities lecturers for working as visiting staff. Private Universities should have at least 3 faculties. Each faculties visiting staff is not more than 50% of number of courses included in the degree progamme and minimum number of parmanent saff per student. Next, Physical resources of the faculty should be par with state univeristy university or provide minium standard. This ensure private universities are not gain super normal profit and student ensure of getting adequate facilities. At present there are many degree awarding shopes and they do not have enough space and no qualified staff. All these degree awarding shopes should be shut down. We hope private university monitoring council should be independent, professional members, free from political inteference.

Dr.P.Raghavan Tuesday, 17 January 2012 12:25 PM

There are two types of private universities are coming up in South and Southeast Asia. The first kind is an exclusive indigenous ones without any proper infrastructures and highly qualified staff members .They usually hire the sub-standard teachers or the retired ones with primitive non -updated and physically unfit staffs.The second kind is the ones who come to the third world countries to expand their business activities by opening even at very narrow spaces like two room set apartments.They are not above a substandard tuition shop.They are all out to en cash their overseas reputation.Their main motivation is to make quick bulk money by awarding the degrees with a high flying logo.In true sense the above mentioned institutions should be closed without any second thought .In a long run they will ruin the basic commitment of higher education and research.I am in the academic research since 1988 and I have worked with top most universities and research institutions in the world

Shai Tuesday, 17 January 2012 12:41 PM

One of the stupid argument. They are doing this to keep the demand for government gratuates. Not sake of free education

dampik Tuesday, 17 January 2012 02:49 PM

hello brother, don't use decimal when you count number of students. student cannot be in decimal - you can not say 100 000. 12 students...

prem Tuesday, 17 January 2012 07:45 AM

Every university srudents had been involved except moratuwa. Now the teachers. Where will this end. Do we need ministers for education/?

ABC Tuesday, 17 January 2012 07:07 AM

Why the Federation of University Teachers Associations (FUTA)protest against the establishment of private universities? Public belives most of university lecturers are unproductive and inefficient. They do not do proper teaching and do not do research which is most essential for ranking of the universities. If there is private universities, they have competitors. They feel they can not compete with them. There is no privatisation of state university. Please do not mislead the public. Private universities are operating in south asian countries. If you want to examine quality of private university in south Asia, examine "Normal University - Pakistan". It is high ranked university in Pakistan.

citizen Tuesday, 17 January 2012 07:09 AM

They Strike because the Uni Teachers and Students FEAR about the QUALITY of PRIVATE EDUCATION.

chatura, saudi arabi Tuesday, 17 January 2012 07:01 AM

this impact occurs because of free education ,,, thats why. when stopped by the government giving free education, no more impacts

Kari Tuesday, 17 January 2012 07:20 AM

General public should be educated with the negative aspects of the controversial private universities bill. Very little information is given to the public by the Government Authorities at present.
This is one of the responsibilities of the university teachers.

ak Tuesday, 17 January 2012 07:13 AM

the student do not leave fr da free education plus the teacher's are nt worried bcoz they r employed only the unemployed teacher's will understand this.

Jinna Tuesday, 17 January 2012 07:22 AM

Do you have degree from a University.

reader Tuesday, 17 January 2012 07:20 AM

for those who dont get qualified for university via the z-score their should be a way to get their higher qualifications this is the right of all citizens

Lanka Tuesday, 17 January 2012 07:21 AM

Why teachers need to go one strike ? They should be concentrating and focusing on teaching which they get paid for.

ind Tuesday, 17 January 2012 07:33 AM

The once who in the front in the strike will be in the front of the queue to get the appointment at the Private universities once they established !!!!!

Gayan Samarasekara Tuesday, 17 January 2012 06:41 AM

Typical University teachers....

AWHussain Tuesday, 17 January 2012 07:54 AM

As an older student at an university, I welcome strongly private universities. This is the time to wake up or reshuffle the education system in Sri Lanka. specially in higher level. Gov should take some brave decision to open new private universities.

UoM Tuesday, 17 January 2012 07:55 AM

It's sad to see FUTA taking misguided actions. As a lecturer in the university system I know for a fact that almost all lecturers earn an extra income by conducting lectures at such private institutions. (ICBT, ACBT etc.) So its hypocritical for us to strike against establishment of private universities. Further more today's strike for carried out while many lecturers didnot want to strike, yet didnt want to seem weak by calling off the strike once the salary increase was carried out. It's almost like the FUTA becoming the same as the ignorant idiots in the IUSF (or අන්තරේ).

Banda Tuesday, 17 January 2012 08:31 AM

Please read the 2nd sentence of the report carefully.

Educated citizen Tuesday, 17 January 2012 08:33 AM

Citizen, maybe you should learn to read. The FUTA wants the bill to be DISCUSSED with stakeholders before it is introduced. They are not Against private universities. Use your brain. If you have one.

Student Tuesday, 17 January 2012 08:34 AM

No one is trying to privatise free education. these lecturers should be sacked immediately. they are responsible for the low standards and and the fact that our degrees are not accepted anywhere in the world and even in some private sector companies here.

im Tuesday, 17 January 2012 08:44 AM

However University teachers are the biggest gainers from private universities.
A junior lecturer can earn roughly 200,000 Rs from a private university while government university pays 30,000.
If the government introduce private universities without properly paying government lecturers this will be the end of high quality government education.

SL Tuesday, 17 January 2012 08:56 AM

the heading misleads the readers
strik is not against pvt universities!
.it is regarding the bill which is not addressing the quality of pvt universiteis

SL Tuesday, 17 January 2012 08:57 AM

the heading misleads the readers!!

balu Tuesday, 17 January 2012 09:18 AM

Of course not. It is pure jealousy. Tell me a country without private universities? Think about the students who cannot afford foreign uni? Our ones are full of politics /ragging etc… imagine the years wasted due to closure? Lets move on people…………..

Add comment
Comments will be edited (grammar, spelling and slang) and authorized at the discretion of Daily Mirror online. The website also has the right not to publish selected comments.

University teachers on strike

Comments - 40

Add comment

RECOMMENDED

UDA owned land in Thalawathugoda; UDA Minister Prasanna Ranatunga under the spotlight for forceful occupation of reserved land

Loss-making SMIB faces political pressure in recovering loans

Baltimore Bridge Collapse: MV Dali, SL authorities anchored in mystery?

Has Sri Lanka become a potential hub for the illegal wildlife trade?

Spotlight on Moragahakanda Development Project Moragolla villagers lose livelihoods and down to one meal a day

Ambitious Sri Lankan jobseekers ‘trafficked into Ukraine war zones’

Western purple-faced langurs see blue!

Most Viewed in News

Street food vendor arrested for verbally harassing foreigner

April 15 declared a government holiday

Former MP Palitha Thewarapperuma dies from electrocution

Complaint lodged over Piumi Hansamali's possession of Gota’s Range Rover

Suspicious death of 23-year-old woman at hotel sparks concerns

Belgian traveller scammed in Kalutara

MIRROR CRICKET

How does CSK get best out of Pathirana?

Mendis, Mathews move up in ICC Test Rankings

Chamodi, Dewmi spins Sri Lanka U19 Women to big win

Amir, Wasim return to Pakistan national team

TODAY'S HEADLINES

100 Police personnel trained to target criminals operating on motorbikes

Catholic Church receives full report

Complaint lodged over Piumi Hansamali’s possession of Gota’s Range Rover

We are struggling with severe shortage of staff – Excise Chief

Mendis, Mathews move up in ICC Test Rankings

Security raised for Champions League ties after threat

SLA target four events at Paris Olympic Games

Chamodi, Dewmi spins Sri Lanka U19 Women to big win