Reopening universities this month an ‘invitation for disaster’

Unions representing university lecturers and students said authorities will be inviting disaster if they went ahead with opening universities this month.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) had earlier announced that universities around the island will be opened in three stages from May 4. Accordingly, universities will be opened for academic and non-academic staff from May 4 while they will be opened for final year students on May 11 and all other students from May 18.

However, unions said they don’t expect authorities to follow through with this schedule given that it could lead to a devastating spread of COVID-19 within the university system.

Federation of University Teachers’ Association (FUTA) President Prof Shyama Banneheka told the Education Times some academic and non-academic staff of certain universities in districts where curfew had been lifted, had been reporting to work from last week on roster basis. Some protective measures, such as disinfection of university premises and hostels had also been carried out.

Prof Banneheka however, said the present situation still made it impossible for universities to reopen.

“The UGC announced that universities will be opened in stages from May 4. Though nothing official has so far been said, I don’t believe it will happen as reopening universities in this situation will be a disaster,” he said.

Students also feel the same way, said Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF) Convener Ven. Rathkarawwe Jinarathana Thera. He accused the Government of trying to create a false sense of normalcy to move ahead with the parliamentary election.

“They are willing to risk the safety of the university students and staff to that end,” the Thera said. The IUSF Convener said 3/4 of university students don’t have hostel facilities and are staying in boarding houses as the university hostels are heavily overcrowded.

“Can you imagine what a disaster there will be if even one person in a university is infected? We are already seeing what might happen by the way security forces personnel who have become infected have turned into unwitting carriers of the disease all over the country,” the Thera said.

Attempts to contact UGC Chairman Prof. Sampath Amaratunge proved futile. - SJ