Insufficient facilities and failure to address it fires Campus unrest: FUTA
View(s):Lack of facilities in local universities and failure to address them are linked to agitation campaigns by undergraduates, the Federation of University Teachers Association (FUTA) claimed this week.
FUTA President Dr Nirmal Dewasiri told Education Times there are a number of problems related to facilities within universities, which has provoked protests at various times.
His remarks came after Higher Education Ministry Secretary Sunil Jayantha Navaratne claimed that extremist groups want to bring out students onto the roads.
“There are a number of issues for students to agitate against, such as facilities, accommodation in hostels and timely payment of Mahapola scholarship,” Dr Dewasiri said.
He said that lack of hostel facilities would be the main problem for university students to agitate, as it is not sufficient at all “If you take Colombo University, the hostel facilities are very bad” he added.
Compared with many other universities, the Colombo University hostel has the most serious maintenance issues, he noted.
“Lack of hostel facilities drives students to find alternate accommodation, like boarding places. Around Colombo, such boarding places are extremely expensive. If students find places away from Colombo, they are faced with transport and other travel related problems” he added.
“Most students depend on canteen food. It is a question whether the food is prepared clean. There have been instances of food poisoning in most universities” he said.
“The question to be asked is, “Why students aren’t protesting, compared with the problems they have in universities, the number of protests are very low, he added.
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