By Steve A. Morrell

The National Christian Council of Sri Lanka (NCCSL) expressed disappointment that in the present crisis in education, the government is focusing on a controversial single venture that undermines the University Act.

Drawing attention to a national consensus on the principles of higher education and the continuing trend of militarization, NCCSL representatives on Friday said the proposed Kotelawala Defence University Bill has raised many matters of concern that at the very least should be further discussed with all relevant stakeholders.

Addressing a news conference in Colombo, they also referred to the lack of mainstream opportunities in the plantation sector. The system of education is dislocated in rural Sri Lanka with teachers suffering an injustice as a result of not being accorded equal opportunities to do their job.

The NCC representatives, which included the Bishops of Colombo, Kurunegala and Jaffna, also expressed concern over the victimization of farmers due to the lack of fertilizer which jeopardized the farming community and their future as well as farm produce, particularly rice production.

The end result of the looming fertilizer crisis will be a drastic drop in national food production to the detriment of the country and its economy, they warned.

They said that although Sri Lanka moved to the middle income bracket, the plantation community remains isolated, lacking minimum access to health care, education and equal opportunities for personal advancement.

Although positive there were plus situations in the country, the plantation community was generally ignored and deprived of allied advantages connected to such areas of economic growth. Plantation workers are singularly responsible for economic growth as a key foreign exchange earner, the estate community continues to suffer as the most vulnerable group of people generally ignored by the body politic of the country, they pointed out.

Plantation youth migrate to urban locations expecting better life standards, but the tragic situation of under-aged children being employed as domestic aides is not beneficial, as witnessed by recent incidents, they said.

They also called for concerted measures to curb the spread of the Covid pandemic and warned that its transmission to the plantation community could have serious implications.