Buddhist Culture and Sinhala have been made a compulsory subjects for first year students of one of the faculties at the University of Jayawardhanapura regardless of their religious beliefs and medium of study. First year students of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences are compelled to study the subject and its marks are considered [...]

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Buddhist Culture and Sinhala compulsory for freshers at J’pura varsity’s Humanities Faculty

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Buddhist Culture and Sinhala have been made a compulsory subjects for first year students of one of the faculties at the University of Jayawardhanapura regardless of their religious beliefs and medium of study.

First year students of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences are compelled to study the subject and its marks are considered for the Grade Point Average (GPA) based on which their degree would be classified.

Faculty Dean C.L.K Karunaratne told the Sunday Times that as almost 90 percent of the students in the faculty are Buddhists he does not see a problem in implementing the rule.

Defending the actions the University’s Vice Chancellor Dr.N.L.A.Karunaratne said that the move was in line with the Act with which the university was established.

“The Act clearly states that the university is to safeguard Buddhist culture and Sinhala in the country. That is why we teach those subjects,” he said.

Admitting that no other faculty in the university teaches these subjects he said Sri Lankan studies, Buddhist Culture and Sinhala are only relevant in the Humanities faculty not in the Science, Management or Medical faculties.

Justifying the Humanities faculty making Sinhala language a compulsory subject Dr. Karunaratne said that students who enter university are not proficient in Sinhala language and the step was necessary to improve their Sinhala.

However all students including those who study in other mediums have to study Sinhala Language as a compulsory subject. A Tamil language course has also been introduced but the syllabus is not as complicated, Dr. Karunaratne said.

The Ven. Dambara Amila Thera, a member of the faculty of the Sri Jayawardhanapura University made a proposal to replace the subject Sri Lankan Cultural Studies with a curriculum to include subject matter covering all cultures and religions in the country. This was shot down by some of the faculty members.

“We are lucky no student from a different religion has filed a fundamental rights case saying they are being treated unequally,” he said.
The Sunday Times learnt that the subject was taught as Sri Lankan Cultural Studies previously and the changes have come in the last few years.

The two subjects are not taught in any other faculty in the university either.

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