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Protests over KNDU Bill to continue: What does president mean by removing ‘obstacles’, ask unions
Education sector trade unions yesterday dismissed President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s assurance that the Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) will be moved under the University Grants Commission (UGC), insisting that their protests will continue until the Kotelawala National Defence University (KNDU) Bill is withdrawn completely.
At a meeting of the Buddhist Advisory Council on Friday evening, Mr Rajapaksa claimed that it was necessary to establish such high quality universities in the country in order to save the large amount of money lost to the country and to the parents when sending their children abroad for higher education.
He further claimed that “obstacles” in the University Grants Commission Act (Universities Act No.16 of 1978) will be removed and the KDU will be brought under its purview.
“The President claims that the government will remove obstacles under the Act. What are these obstacles that he is referring to?” questioned Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) General Secretary Joseph Stalin. He pointed out that state universities coming under the UGC admitted students based on the ‘Z-Score.’ Will this be applicable to the KDU as well, he queried.
Mr Stalin, who had been released from a government-run quarantine centre in Mullaitivu on Friday night after being forcibly quarantined for more than a week, said their fight will continue until the bill is withdrawn. “We intend to continue the fight with other trade unions under the banner of the Students’ and People’s Movement for the Protection of Free Education.”
The President should stop trying to fool the people by making vague statements that someone has clearly written down for him, Ceylon Teachers Service Union (CTSU) General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe told the Sunday Times.
“We are not opposed to the KDU coming under the UGC. But, what does the President mean when he says they will change obstacles in the Act to bring the KDU under the UGC? He should explain in detail what these clauses are. This is simply another of his attempts to fool the people,” Mr Jayasinghe charged.
In the absence of any elaboration, the President’s statement about removing obstacles under the Universities Act should be taken as a serious matter, he further asserted.
Teacher unions meanwhile, are continuing their strike action of refraining from conducting online classes. Mr Jayasinghe said that the strike will continue until authorities addressed several of their key demands, main among them being to resolve the salary anomaly issue that has affected teachers for 24 years. “The scrapping of the KNDU Bill is also one of our demands. We will mobilize in the coming week to conduct more protests,” he stressed.
