University lecturers protest against the shortage of academics during lunch hour

A protest organized by the Federation of University Teachers' Associations (FUTA) was held yesterday (02) during lunch hour in front of all state universities, demanding immediate solutions to several issues, including the shortage of lecturers in the university system. Commenting on this protest, reported by Sanjeewa Nanayakkara, the Secretary of the Federation, Senior Lecturer Charudaththa Ilangasinghe, stated that if the authorities fail to provide prompt solutions to their demands, the ongoing trade union actions will be further intensified in the future.

Mr. Charudaththa Ilangasinghe points out that although two years have passed since the current government came to power, no steps have been taken to provide successful solutions to the problems in the university sector. He also mentioned that although the relevant authorities have been informed about all the issues within the system, no proper response has been received.

Currently, there is a severe shortage of lecturers in state universities, with nearly 1,000 lecturers from those present in 2015 having left the universities. Although only approximately 5,000 lecturers are currently serving in the university system, the realistic requirement for the system is around 12,000.

He also explained that although only about 25,000 students were admitted to universities in 2014 and 2015, the planned admission of approximately 45,000 students for the year 2025 will be an unbearable burden on the university system. He further emphasized that despite reaching some agreements during discussions with the President and the Prime Minister regarding these issues, none of those agreements have been implemented so far.