Sri Lanka shuts universities

The University of Colombo is among institutions closed by the
 Sri Lankan government until futher notice. 

UNIVERSITIES in Sri Lanka have been closed until further notice, with the Minister of Higher Education accusing a union of trying to create a political crisis to topple the government.

University staff have been on strike since early July over issues including pay and sector funding.

The government's official website announced the closure 21 universities and educational institutes, but exempted  faculties of medicine and those not involved in the strike.

Minister S.B. Dissanayake took the decision  after talks with vice-chancellors and directors of universities and academics who were not involved in the Federation of University Teachers Associations trade union action.

The BBC reported that a FUTA official dismissed the accusation it wanted  regime change as "frivolous''. "You need to understand, Futa [the union] includes academics from all political parties,'' he said. "This is a national struggle.''


Mr Dissanayake said the government had agreed in principle to five of the six demands from the FUTA with the exception being a demand for a 20 per cent salary increase, but the FUTA said this wasn't true.

The minister also said that in the past year, government had  given a total salary increase from 36 per cent to 83 per cent through various allowances and payments.

The government had also proposed to appoint a special Presidential Commission on Higher Education and to establish a Post Graduate University in the future.

Asianews.it reported that the FUTA called the decision to close the universities "stupid and unjust'' and said it would lead to the destruction of the country's educational sector. It announced a mass demonstration in opposition to the closures overnight Thursday in Colombo.

The BBC also reported the FUTA had "denounced government plans to partially privatise a tertiary education system that has always been state-funded and free.

The Australian