10 December 2020 12:04 am
By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana
The Government and the Opposition were seen engaged in an argument concerning the method followed in selecting Vice-Chancellors of Universities yesterday.
Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa, who raised a question concerning the matter said the new system adopted by the present Government was manipulative.
“The removal of the system under which the Vice-Chancellor is chosen by a vote of the governing Council of a University will lead to manipulation. The new method will help the Government to get a person of its choice elected as a Vice-Chancellor,” he said. Minister of Education and Higher Education Professor G. L Peiris who responded said the new method was more effective.
“A broad study on the candidates is made under the new method. Accordingly, a candidate’s personal integrity, his background, excellence in research and his skills are looked into under the new method by a committee appointed for the study,” he said. “It is also recommended that a CEO or a Chairperson of a private sector company and a Ministry Secretary or a former Ministry Secretary has been members of these committees which are appointed by the university governing body. The suitable persons are shortlisted thereafter and a suitable person is selected to the post,” the Minister said.