The Inter University Students’ Council (IUSC) warned the government that they would organise massive student protests, if the government does not heed to their objections regarding the privatisation of the education sector.
“The government is on a slow process of privatising the education sector and preventing the students from enjoying the privileges of the free education system,” IUSC Convenor Udul Premaratne said at a media briefing yesterday. He insisted that the government has already started the process of privatising the education sector with their plan to privatise the Examination Department.
“They are in the gradual process of labelling the Examinations Department as an inefficient institution. Many blunders have been made when preparing the test papers and test timetables by this department and these cannot be simple printing mistakes. It is evident that they are made on purpose. With time, they will eventually privatise the Examinations Department claiming that it is incompetent,” Premaratne pointed out.
He emphasised this fact by highlighting a statement made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa about the importance of establishing a private university in the country. Premaratne also charged the government of bringing up irrational excuses such as the loss of Rs. 5,000 million in foreign currency, due to local students entering foreign universities, to justify establishing private universities.
The government has stated that about 10,000 students go abroad annually for educational purposes and this money can be saved within the country, if a private university was established. “How can they accurately state that it is 10,000 students when most of these students go abroad and work while they study? So, their calculation of Rs. 5,000 million is not accurate,” Premaratne remarked.
“Also, there are many incidents of bribery and corruption existing in the country. Without trying to correct those issues, they are focusing on this Rs. 5,000 million in the education sector, which is such a small sum of money in comparison to the money that is wasted in terms of corruption. What guarantee can the government give that after the establishment of a private university, the number of students who go abroad will reduce?” Premaratne queried.
He emphasised on the fact that the government is converting education into a privilege that can only be enjoyed by the well-to-do families, and is trying to value education on monetary terms. “For over five years, we have been informing the government about the blunders made by the Education Ministry. But they have not taken any notice,” he said and added that if the government does not provide a speedy response they hold a massive student protest.
TBL
“The government is on a slow process of privatising the education sector and preventing the students from enjoying the privileges of the free education system,” IUSC Convenor Udul Premaratne said at a media briefing yesterday. He insisted that the government has already started the process of privatising the education sector with their plan to privatise the Examination Department.
“They are in the gradual process of labelling the Examinations Department as an inefficient institution. Many blunders have been made when preparing the test papers and test timetables by this department and these cannot be simple printing mistakes. It is evident that they are made on purpose. With time, they will eventually privatise the Examinations Department claiming that it is incompetent,” Premaratne pointed out.
He emphasised this fact by highlighting a statement made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa about the importance of establishing a private university in the country. Premaratne also charged the government of bringing up irrational excuses such as the loss of Rs. 5,000 million in foreign currency, due to local students entering foreign universities, to justify establishing private universities.
The government has stated that about 10,000 students go abroad annually for educational purposes and this money can be saved within the country, if a private university was established. “How can they accurately state that it is 10,000 students when most of these students go abroad and work while they study? So, their calculation of Rs. 5,000 million is not accurate,” Premaratne remarked.
“Also, there are many incidents of bribery and corruption existing in the country. Without trying to correct those issues, they are focusing on this Rs. 5,000 million in the education sector, which is such a small sum of money in comparison to the money that is wasted in terms of corruption. What guarantee can the government give that after the establishment of a private university, the number of students who go abroad will reduce?” Premaratne queried.
He emphasised on the fact that the government is converting education into a privilege that can only be enjoyed by the well-to-do families, and is trying to value education on monetary terms. “For over five years, we have been informing the government about the blunders made by the Education Ministry. But they have not taken any notice,” he said and added that if the government does not provide a speedy response they hold a massive student protest.
TBL
what ?
