Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Training, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, has instructed officials to investigate not only ragging but also all forms of violence taking place within the university system and other higher education institutions across Sri Lanka.
Speaking during a meeting held today (July 2) at the Ministry of Education, with members of the National Task Force on the Elimination of Ragging and Campus Violence, PM Amarasuriya emphasized the need to develop practical recommendations and initiate immediate action to curb these issues.
She reaffirmed that the task force, appointed for a three-year term, would be empowered with the necessary authority and state backing to examine incidents of violence by both academic and non-academic staff and students, and to take appropriate measures.
Representatives of the task force highlighted several contributing factors to violence in higher education, including a lack of proper relationships between students and staff, toxic student attitudes toward ragging, and the misuse of violence as a means to demand respect or assert authority. They also pointed to the stress created by academic pressure and the power dynamics within faculties.
PM Amarasuriya stressed the need for both short-term and long-term strategies, calling for updated legal frameworks and mechanisms to tackle violence, along with mindset-changing programs. She noted that legal action alone would not suffice and that preventive educational measures must also be adopted.
Also addressing the meeting, Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education, Madhura Senewiratne, underlined the importance of ensuring the safety and well-being of students subjected to any form of violence. (Newswire)
