Protesters demand more universities

A group calling themself ‘Voice of Youth’ staged a protest near the ministry of higher education in Colombo yesterday.

IANS/Colombo

Scores of protesters marched in Sri Lanka’s capital yesterday, demanding that the government increase the number of public universities to admit an additional 140,000 students each year, an activist said.

The protesters, shouting slogans and waving signboards, marched to the higher education ministry demanding that the government expand the public university network in Sri Lanka to allow more students to enter.

‘Voice of Youth’ convenor Gayan Janaka said that each year more than 144,000 students pass the government mandated university entrance examination but only 22,000 students are admitted to the universities.

“Every year thousands of students that have excellent results cannot enter a university because there is no space. This is unacceptable. We call on the government to open new universities and expand the tertiary education system in Sri Lanka,” he said.

The Sri Lankan government is attempting to push through new legislation to allow private universities to enter the sector but so far have faced stiff opposition from leftist political parties and affiliated student unions that charge such a move would reduce the recognition of public universities.

Janaka repeated this demand and called for greater attention from the government to solve the plight of students.

The organisation handed over a petition calling for the increase of public universities to a representative of the higher education ministry.