Govt. tells students to pick talks over protests

By Nuwan Senarathna

Information and Mass Media Minister Bandula Gunawardana

Higher Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena yesterday appealed to university students to discuss their problems with the Government rather than staging protests and disrupting public life, and said he stands ready to resolve their issues in a timely manner. Referring to multiple student protests outside the Presidential Secretariat over last few days Gunawardena said the Government will maintain an open door policy for students and student unions to discuss their various issues. 

“This is a new Government and a new President. We will not follow policies of previous administrations and use tear gas to disperse students. Their issues can be addressed with discussions. Therefore, they are always welcome to discuss their issues with us,” he said.

Gunawardena noted the Government had already begun to address long-standing issues in the country’s higher education sector by increasing resources, upgrading syllabi and bridging gaps between similar qualifications. He pointed out that the Government has identified key areas to address, which will be rolled out on a priority basis.

“We cannot address all issues overnight but we will address them in a timely manner to improve our higher education system to meet international standards. I hope all university students will agree with us to discuss their issues rather than protesting,” he added. Pic

He said the Government has already taken initiatives to establish university colleges in every Divisional Secretariat and upgrade all technical colleges to universities. The Government’s newest move will enable the provision of higher education for every student in the country as stated in President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s election manifesto, he said.

Meanwhile, Urban Development State Minister Gamini Lokuge denied that the Government had suspended any employees. According to Lokuge, the Government had already commenced discussions to ensure the job security of every public employee.

by Lasantha Kumara