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Universities sign petition against Leadership Training for varsity entrants: IUSF
View(s):University student unions are up in arms against the Leadership Training given to university entrants and petitions are being signed in universities against it, the Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) said.
The IUSF said that, Rajarata and Sri Jayawardenapura Universities have already signed the petition, while this week, Ruhuna University students signed the petition, demanding the authorities to stop the training given at military bases. It said that, once all universities sign petitions, student unions will take firm action to prevent authorities conducting the training from next year onwards.
The training is conducted by the Higher Education Ministry, along with the University Grants Commission and the Defence Ministry since 2011.
“We will continue our student action against this training which is more of a military training and clearly not a leadership training. The present Government’s intention is to privatise the Education sector and find student activism an obstacle towards attaining their goal,” the IUSF said.
A union member said the discipline introduced is more suited for military personnel than a university student.
“Students are not given the opportunity to express their feelings, think critically and logically. The training commenced with the objective to promote and foster leadership qualities among university entrants. But the real intention is to produce a group of students who will agree to whatever decisions the authorities make. “
They charge that attempts are made to train informants, build relationships between military personnel and female students in order to obtain information.
They said that, during the past four years of training, two students died, a female student was injured after a 7-foot fall, one female student sexually molested, and many unreported incidents.
“Of the four teams in the universities, three have received the military training, while those who have received the training are also against it,” the IUSF said.
The IUSF also charged that, even to obtain hostel facilities, Peradeniya University has requested the leadership training certificate from those seeking lodging. (NF)