by Saman Indrajith
Undergrads will meet trade unions and public organisations to form parents’ organisations district-wise this week to form a united force against the government’s bid to privatise universities.

"We have already discussed with a couple of trade unions and they promised their solidarity against selling out the universities," said the Convenor of the Inter University Students Federation (IUSF), Chameera Koswatta yesterday.

The IUSF will meet teachers, the Maha Sangha and other religious leaders, after the Vesak to mount an islandwide agitation campaign against government’s move to privatise university education system and information technology institutes at the request of donor agencies.

"We will not allow the PA government to sell out the university education to the private sector. We’ll fight until the last drop of our blood is left to save free education," Koswatta said.

To impress potential international donors, the Sri Lankan government has decided to allow private sector participation providing for fee levying university institutions to be established by the private sector, he said.

With the aim of "allowing a greater participation of the private sector in tertiary education, our political leaders have once again proven that they are short-sighted", Koswatta said.

"They do this harm to gain more dollars with the aim of surviving like Neros without thinking about the long term consequences," he said.

"The free university education was the one and only way for the children of poor families to enter the next layer of this capitalist society. The bourgeoisie leaders who send their children to foreign universities are not affected by this move which will deprive poor people from a university education. We would launch an island-wide awareness campaign and would organise people against this," he said.

"Today we receive higher education free thanks to our seniors who fought for its existence. Now its our duty to fight to save free education for the next generations. We’ll never let this government or any other force to privatise the university education system," Koswatta pledged.

The Minister of Higher Education was not available for comment.