Academic staff quitting universities in droves

University Grants Commission Chairman Prof Sampath Amaratunga told parliamentary watchdog committee – COPE (Committee on Public Enterprises) that although there should be 12,992 university lecturers, currently there are only 6,548.

Attending a probe on the University of Sri Jayewardenepura by COPE last Thursday, Amaratunga said that there was a drastic brain drain and the university teachers were leaving the country en masse following the economic crisis in the country. He said that the same situation applies to non-academic staff.

At least 1,000 lecturers should be recruited immediately to the university system to avert an imminent collapse of the system, Prof Amaratunga said.The University of Sri Jayewardenepura was called before the COPE which met under chairmanship of Prof Ranjith Bandara MP.

Nihal Ranasingha, Secretary to the Ministry of Higher Education, Vice Chancellor of the Sri Jayawardenepura University, Senior Prof. M. M. Pathmalal and others were called before this Committee.

State Minister Jagath Pushpakumara, Shantha Bandara, MPs Dayasiri Jayasekara, Eran Wickramaratne, Upul Mahendra Rajapaksha, Madhura Withanage, and Prof Charitha Herath were present at the meeting.