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| Sunday, 28 April 2002 |
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Ruhuna undergrads to elect new IUSF by CHAMIKARA WEERASINGHE Students of Ruhuna University will once again elect new members for the Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) with permission being granted by the University authorities. The authorities dissolved the Federation prohibiting its functions in the University from April 17. The Vice Chancellor of Ruhuna University, Prof. Ranjith Senaratne told the" Sunday Observer" that the Federation would be granted official status to re-start functions from May, once the Federation's new leaders have been elected by the students. The authorities of Ruhuna University say, they dismissed the IUSF because its members were found to have organised attacks on those who followed a private course at the University. It is said to be a fee-levying diploma course on Management of Breast Feeding, which is conducted by teachers of the University for nurses and midwives. Prof. Senaratne said: "Some students are in police custody they were arrested while being involved in various violent incidents, some were suspended from the University for similar incidents. In fact some of them are attending lectures already." "I await a report from our University investigation team before I make any convincing decision with regard to taking others back to the University. All depend on the report," he said. Meanwhile, The Inter University Students Federation in a letter addressed to Tertiary Education and Vocational Training Minister Kabir Hashim, had said that the Ruhuna Vice Chancellor had unduly played down the Federation by deciding on his own. As the letter explains ," The University authorities has used suppression in response to protests by the Inter University Student Federation against the government's attempts to privatise medical education by introducing private courses in Universities." Vice Chancellor, Prof. Senaratne pointed out that private courses are being conducted in every University in the country. "We are living in a world that is based on knowledge-economy. Besides most of the health-related programmes are being funded and promoted by international aid agencies." "On the contrary, what is wrong in educating nurses and midwives on breast feeding. It can only benefit the public." Prof. Senaratne said that he made his decision to dismiss the IUSF having to cope with recommendations of the local authorities concerned." |
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