President directs FUTA to submit plan to expedite university degree completion

A meeting was held this morning (October 20) at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo between Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and representatives of the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA).

During the meeting, FUTA representatives informed the President about the issues arising within the university system and the challenges faced by academics, particularly due to delays in completing university degree programmes on time in recent years for various reasons.

The President instructed FUTA to prepare and submit a plan for the speedy completion of these degree programmes while maintaining their quality, ensuring the efficient execution of the accumulated workload, and enhancing research and development activities. He further stated that the government would provide the necessary facilities to implement this plan.

Attention was also drawn to the measures needed to improve the quality of higher education, as well as the recruitment and retention of university academics and staff.

Also present at the occasion were the Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya; the Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation, Anura Karunathilaka; and the Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando; along with a delegation from FUTA, including its Chairman, Professor P.R. Weeratunga, and Secretary, Charudaththa Ilangasinghe.