• All 17 VCs to be directed to submit reports on 519 cases of vacation of post, 663 resignations during 2021-23 

The Education Ministry is to call for a detailed report about the members of the academic and non-academic staff of State universities who have vacated their positions without tendering their resignations, The Daily Morning learnt.

When queried by The Daily Morning yesterday (25), Secretary to the Ministry of Education Nihal Ranasinghe said that suitable action will be taken after receiving the report, adding that the Ministry is to direct the Vice Chancellors (VCs) of all 17 State universities to submit a report in this regard. However, he said that the Ministry is yet to ask the VCs to do so.

Last week, speaking in Parliament, Education Minister and attorney Dr. Susil Premajayantha revealed that around 255 members of the academic staff and 153 of the non-academic staff of State universities have vacated their posts during the last one and a half years without tendering their resignations officially. According to him, 83 academic staff members and 277 non-academic staff members have officially resigned from all 17 universities during the period from 1 January 2022 to 25 May 2023. As per the data revealed by the Minister in response to a question raised by National People’s Power Opposition Parliamentarian Dr. Harini Amarasuriya in the House, the phenomenon of university staff vacating their posts has been happening since 2021. Accordingly, 519 members of staff, both academic and non-academic, have vacated their posts from 2021 to 2023. 

The Colombo University records 75 which is the highest number while 75 staff members of the Peradeniya University and 54 members of the Kelaniya University have vacated their posts during the said period. The Minister also said that approximately 663 academic and non-academic staff members have officially resigned from the universities from 2021 to 2023. Some 80 members of staff have officially resigned from the Colombo University, 77 from Jaffna, 76 from Peradeniya, and 71 from Sri Jayewardenepura have officially resigned during the given period.

However, last month (June), Federation of University Teachers’ Associations Spokesperson Senior Lecturer Charuadaththe Illangasinghe told The Daily Morning that around 400-500 university teachers and lecturers have left universities from January to the end of May of this year (2023), adding that the number also includes teachers and lecturers who retired in May 2023. “The total number of university teachers needed for all State universities is 11,293. Of the said number, there are only 6,677 teachers currently engaged in academic activities. Accordingly, there is a shortage of 4,616 university teachers in the university system,” he said.