| The problems faced by the students of the University of Kelaniya continue with some lectures still being suspended, students charge.
The Student’s Union of the University of Kelaniya held a protest last Thursday demanding that the University restart lectures for 2nd and 3rd year students immediately.
These students from the Humanities and Social Sciences Faculties of the University of Kelaniya told the Sunday Times that they had been informed that the lectures would resume on December 16, but when they came to the University, they realized that the problem of hostel facilities had not been resolved.
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| Protesting students. |
The problem initially arose when authorities decided that the girls’ hostel which could accommodated 1200 students would be used to accommodate the boys as it was situated outside the University premises, while the girls were to be housed in the hostel, that was used by the boys and was situated within the university premises.
However, the boys’ hostel which was handed over to the girls could accommodate only 570 students.“Moreover, those hostels were constructed for boys. Some toilets don’t have doors while others have not been rebuilt for the convenience of the girls,” Rasika Ekanayake, a representative of the Students’ union said.
He said the reading room of the hostel could only be used by about 70 students and this posed a problem to the female students especially at night as they were not allowed to leave the hostel after 7 p.m. even to use any other facility in the premises. He said when the boys were in the hostel and there was no room in the reading room they would use the canteen to study at night.
Commenting on the hostel that now accommodates the boys he said, has they had plenty of space with some rooms being even empty. |
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