The Students’ Union of the University of Kelaniya has accused the government of betraying its promise to protect and promote free education, alleging that current policies amount to a covert push toward the privatisation of the country’s education system.
Issuing a press release this week, the Students’ Union claimed that the government is preparing to recruit graduates from Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) and other private higher education institutions into public sector employment, sidestepping graduates from state universities who have long awaited appointments.
According to the union, interviews for these recruitments are scheduled to be held on 17 May, prompting widespread condemnation from students and education activists.
“This government came into power promising to safeguard free education, yet their actions tell a different story. Instead of upholding the values of equity and meritocracy, they are prioritising private university graduates while disregarding those from state institutions,” the press release said.
The controversy centres around the recruitment of graduates, particularly in the health sector, into the public service. For months, university graduates and student groups have demanded the government adhere to an established Merit List approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC), which ranks graduates based on academic performance and is used to fill available vacancies in a fair and transparent manner.
Healthcare professionals, university lecturers, and trade unions have also backed this call, urging the government to fill positions based on the existing merit order.
However, the NPP administration led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa have opted to conduct a knowledge test as a new criterion for recruitment.
Critics argue that this move undermines the merit-based process already in place and discriminates against graduates from public universities.
Notably, this is not the first time such a test has been proposed. Similar attempts by the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government in 2021 and the Ranil Wickremesinghe-led administration in 2024 were abandoned after mass opposition from state university graduates. Following these protests, a consensus was reached in 2024 to follow the merit list, a move that now appears to have been disregarded.
This year, in protest of the renewed knowledge test, all 473 state university graduates eligible for employment boycotted the exam. In contrast, only 105 candidates, mostly from private universities including KDU, sat for the test, raising further questions about the government’s intentions.
“This is not just about jobs,” the Kelaniya students’ union stressed. “It’s about preserving the principle that free education should provide equal opportunity to all, not just those who can afford private degrees.”
The issue is expected to intensify in the coming days as student unions across the country consider protest action. Meanwhile, pressure is mounting on the government to reverse its decision and recommit to a recruitment policy grounded in fairness, transparency, and respect for free education.
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