Save student involvement

Students at the Open University on Wednesday went on strike against the continued stoppage of work by academics and have appealed to the Government to end the crisis that is locked in a stalemate. Given the massive impact the protest is having on thousands of students and their futures, this is a reasonable request, but one that will be among the hardest to solve.

Since 4 July, universities had all but come to a standstill, with not only undergraduate but post graduate students who have paid for their education being left to stagnate as the university teachers took the fight to the Government. Against the odds they have continued to wage a battle to “save” the education system of the country, but the stalemate between the two parties seems to be pushing learning standards into a further abyss.

The Federation of University Teachers’ Association (FUTA), the trade union of the academics, is currently engaged in a strike demanding that the Government among others to allocate six per cent of the country’s GDP for education and grant independence of universities from political interferences and an increase in salaries for university teachers. There is also tension over the Government’s proposal to privatise the higher education system.

The present situation of the universities warrants a close inspection of the current university network as the present circumstances indicate an uncertainty whether the university network is actually functioning. At a special discussion held on Tuesday with vice chancellors, lecturers and deans of the departments, it has been concluded that the Government needs to take an immediate measure to prevent the current situation becoming worse and hence the decision to close the universities.

According to Minister S.B. Dissanayake, the situation has become the main barrier for the progress of the students and to maintain a peaceful atmosphere in the universities. The Minister says the strike by FUTA is politically motivated since the Government has taken maximum effort to find a solution to FUTA’s demands through several rounds of discussions. The Minister has noted that although final decisions were arrived at these discussions on agreements, the lecturers’ trade union has not shown a positive response to solve the problems.

The Government has agreed to all demands submitted by FUTA, except the one for a 20 per cent salary increase, he said, adding that the salaries of the university teachers had been increased by between 36 to 83 per cent. Further, increase of salaries will completely complicate the salary structures of public servants, the Minister has noted.

Meanwhile, academics on strike are not receiving their salaries. They are also distrustful of the Government after measures to increase their pay was not entered into the 2012 Budget as was agreed to in the aftermath of the crippling strike last year. The Z-score fiasco, inaccurate Advanced Level papers and FUTA’s refusal to mark them is threatening to push the issues even more out of control.

As time passes the problems become more and more convoluted, to the extent that finding a solution becomes all the more impossible. Yet one thing is for certain, both parties must take steps to find a solution before thousands of students see their future dimmed. The last thing this prolonged problem needs is for angry students to get involved.