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| Sunday, 25 April 2004 |
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Top level confab to solve education sector problems A top level conference between Treasury and Education officials was held last Thursday towards solving the problems in the education sector. Secretary to the Treasury, Dr. P.B. Jayasundara, and Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Dr. Tara de Mel, met with the University Grants Commission members and vice chancellors of all universities, together with the Finance Ministry officials at the Ministry of Finance, to discuss critical issues and shortcomings faced by the universities. The main focus of the discussion was to resolve issues concerning the restriction of funds and recruitment of staff, both of which have hampered the functioning of the academic work of the universities, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Education and Cultural Affairs said. Following the discussion, immediate steps were taken to study the request of the vice chancellors for filling academic positions on an urgent basis. Restrictions on recruitment of staff for the university system were lifted with immediate effect. The Treasury Secretary had promised to provide an extra grant to the higher education institutes for the academic year 2004 to rectify the shortfall of funds that had been identified for the university system, she said. Additional funds required to improve the hostel facilities for the undergraduates will have to be further estimated and a committee will be appointed soon to look into the problems in university students' accommodation. With regard to the grievances in the non-academic staff, the Treasury will take steps to provide relief. Secretary of the Education Ministry will meet the representatives of the teacher trade unions next week to discuss their grievances, the spokeswoman said. During the regime of the former government recruitment of staff for the university academic cadres was put on hold on the excuse of lack of finance. Convener of the Inter University Students Federation, Ravindra Mudalige appraising the efforts taken by the higher education authorities said that, the new government will have to shoulder the burden of re-streamlining the education system which was left in a mess by the previous government. President of the Inter University Trade Union Federation, Lionel Malwattage said that he hoped the UPFA government will act swiftly to resolve the salary discrepancies and other related problems in the university non-academic profession. |
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