The opportunities granted for internal undergraduates of state universities to sit for their internal examinations will be restricted to a specific timeframe in due course as they enjoy these facilities continuously for five to seven years by occupying hostels of universities, Education Minister Susil Premayantha told the Sunday Observer.
Some of these undergraduates have been found to be drug addicts, female sex abusers, thugs and raggers of freshers. The freshers who undergo physical, mental and sexual harassment leave the university. Several high- ranking university officials have brought this to the notice of the Education Minister.
The legal framework would be drafted soon in consultation with the Heads of State Universities and the University Grants Commission. The sole objective of the undergraduates should be to complete their degree courses and other studies within the given time duration of the study course and to fulfill their social duties and responsibilities as dignified graduates to serve the country, the Minister said.
Kurunegala District Senior Director of Education W.M. Balasooriya said that billions of rupees in public funds are being spent annually on university students under the free education system.
“We hope that this would be understood by the university students without them becoming mere puppets of anti-social, political elements and anti-Sri Lankan NGOs,” he said
Balasooriya was speaking at a meeting of school heads of the Kurunegala district.
He said the parents of these undergraduates suffer mentally due to the economic crisis and are in a dilemma as to how to spend money on these aimless students to continue their studies.
The Director of Education said some undergraduates intentionally fail their internal examinations to stay for longer periods in universities while enjoying the amenities offered to them by the Government free to carry on their anti-social political activities.
Peaceful students in the universities are harassed by these thugs thereby obstructing their studies and also provoking the students against the Government crippling its development and administrative work to achieve the NGO targets.
Balasooriya said most patriotic and peace-loving citizens of this country look upon the undergraduates today with contempt since student bhikkhus too are taking the lead in students’ demonstrations on the streets, he added.