|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 27 April 2003 |
 |
|
 |
News |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Marshal system back in universities by By ANJANA GAMAGE Amidst protest from student unions and Opposition political parties, the university system will revert to a 20 -year- old tradition of having Marshals to maintain law and order within the university premises from next month. The first group of Marshals will be deployed at the University of Sri Jayawardenapura from the first week of May. Minister of Human Resources Development, Education and Cultural Affairs Dr. Karunasena Kodituwakku said that the system had been recommended by the parliamentary select committee appointed last year to probe into violence in universities, and funds to implement it has been sought from the Treasury. According to Ministry sources, the number of Marshals for universities, will depend on the number of faculties and student population of each university. According to the Vice Chancellor of Sri Jayawardenapura University, Dr. D.S. Epitawatta, 21 men are now being trained as Marshals at the university and they will be provided with uniforms in the first week of May. University authorities will also obtain the services of five more senior police officers above the ASP level (retired or not) with a degree qualification to act as senior Marshals, specially on student discipline. "They are intellectuals and what we need from them is to reduce the number of complaints from students by acting in a fatherly manner," he said. "A police post will be also set up near the entrance to the university, so that the Marshals can work together with the police to strengthen the security system in the university," he said. However, members of the Inter-University Student Federation (IUSF) opposed to the system, aided by certain Opposition party leaders are planning massive protest campaigns throughout the country from next month, against the re-introduction of the Marshal system. "The Marshal system was there in the universities sometime back. But since there is a civil law in the country, we do not need a special security system for universities. If any of the students were found guilty of misbehaviour, they can be punished under the normal civil law in the country. Why should they go for a new security system? They want to obstruct the students and suppress their rights with new laws", the convenor of the IUSF, Ravindra Mudalige said. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
