Sri Lanka’s university system is heading toward confrontation as lecturers warn of an indefinite strike, accusing authorities of political interference, broken promises, and threats to academic independence.
The Federation of University Teachers’ Unions (FUTA) has announced that it will launch strong industrial action from next week if what it describes as undue interference by the University Grants Commission in university governance is not halted immediately.
FUTA Secretary and Senior Lecturer Charudatta Ilangasinghe stated that although the new act has managed to curb long standing political influence in the appointment of Vice Chancellors to a certain extent, several provisions within the legislation pose serious risks to the proper functioning of universities.
He emphasized that granting governing councils unrestricted authority to remove deans and heads of departments at any time creates a major administrative concern and undermines academic stability. According to the federation, such powers weaken institutional autonomy and place university governance at risk of external pressure.
The federation further noted that discussions held with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya had included assurances that these issues would be addressed through positive solutions. However, FUTA claims that these commitments have not yet been fulfilled.
It is also alleged that progress has stalled due to intervention by the Chairman of the University Grants Commission, resulting in indefinite delays in implementing promised reforms.
In this context, Mr. Ilangasinghe said the federation is prepared to engage in a continuous struggle from next week to safeguard the independence of Sri Lanka’s university system and protect academic freedom.
