September 30, Colombo (LNW): Academic staff across Sri Lanka’s state universities are set to stage a nationwide strike today (30), in protest against what they describe as the government’s persistent neglect of critical issues facing the higher education sector.
The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA), which represents lecturers and academics from public universities, announced the industrial action during a press briefing in Colombo.
The Union accuses the current administration of failing to deliver on promises made to address longstanding challenges within the university system, despite having been in office for over a year.
FUTA Secretary, Senior Lecturer Charudaththe Ilangasinghe, voiced deep concern over the deteriorating conditions in public universities, emphasising that the government’s silence on the key issues could be dangerous for the future of public education in Sri Lanka.
Among the core grievances raised by the union are the declining quality of education, underfunding, and a growing exodus of experienced academic staff. Ilangasinghe highlighted the situation at the University of Peradeniya, where more than 200 lecturers have reportedly resigned or left for overseas positions in the past year alone—a figure he described as “deeply troubling.”
