FUTA and taking an education system hostage - EDITORIAL

The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) is up in arms. To emphasize their ‘grievances’ this body, whom ordinary folk would believe to be of intellectual bent, continues delaying the marking of ‘A’ level examination scripts. The ‘A’ level examination itself was held in January this year.

In March this year, the Examinations Commissioner-General announced, daily payment for marking of examination papers had been increased to Rs. 2,000/-.
The whole evaluation process lasts 12 days and a Chief Examiner (non-science subject) is paid Rs. 62,050/- for the whole evaluation process. This has now been increased to Rs. 101,600/-. Additional Chief Examiners (Senior Teachers) were paid Rs. 52,250/- but it was increased to Rs. 90,270/-. Assistant Examiners were paid Rs. 36,725/- and it is now revised to Rs. 60,475/-.

Chief Examiners for science subjects were paid Rs. 64,550 in 2020 and it has been increased to Rs. 106,506/-. The charges for the Additional Chief Examiners have been increased from Rs. 59,900/- to Rs. 95,946/-. The allowance of an Assistant Examiner was Rs. 44,199/-, and was increased to Rs. 64,460/-.
“There are 1,200 university academics who engage in the answer script evaluation and their allowances have been increased by 100%”.

These increases were made at a time the country was in economic turmoil and at a time most workers in our country had their salaries cut and many others lost their jobs due to businesses folding up.
Yet, having received a near 100% increase for marking of examination papers, this selfish body of persons who comprise FUTA are now demanding they be exempted from the national tax structure of the country!

To press their demands, they have taken the whole body of students hostage by refusing to mark their answer scripts.
At this time, we must appreciate the teachers in the Northern Province who have rejected the demands of their southern colleagues and have commenced marking papers of students in areas under their purview.

We must also digress at this point to appreciate the work ethics of persons involved in essential services in the north and east, who even under the most desperate situation during the ethnic conflict and ‘war on terror’ ensured the wheels of the education and health services kept turning as smoothly as was possible during
those times.

Returning to the dark reality today, (areas outside those of the north/east) we cannot but recall that our strikers/hostage takers and the ‘so-called educators’ themselves are direct beneficiaries of the free education system which operates countrywide. Most of them are holding their present positions in the universities, thanks to the free education system.

They however, seem to be blissfully oblivious of the fact that the free education they received was and is totally dependent on government subsidies. Government subsidies are based on taxes government imposes on its people - whether they be direct or indirect taxes.
Even the poorest beggar on the street pays indirect taxes via taxation on basics such sugar, rice, wheat, potatoes and other basic foodstuff, which provide funds to provide one and all a free education.

Yet FUTA members, who also recently received a windfall in the increase in allowances for the marking of exam papers while other workers face pay-cuts, have taken a whole body of students hostage to demand special benefits for themselves. 
What perfidy!

The FUTA strike is not about poor work conditions or any other work-related activity.
Rather, it is a selfish demand based on narrow party-political motives
Doesn’t the FUTA understand that it was the removal of taxes under the Gotabaya regime which proved to be the straw which broke the back of the economic structure of our country and sent us hurtling down the precipice to bankruptcy?

Don’t these so-called intellectuals realize that withdrawal of taxes will pave the way leading to the death of free education this country enjoyed since independence.
Since Covid-19, students in this country faced stupendous difficulties and enormous stress in not only continuing their academic activities, but also successfully reaching ‘A’ level standard and sitting for their ‘A’ level examination.

Overcoming these major hurdles, by dint of hard work they have now reached a defining moment in their educational careers.
Should a small band of selfish persons be permitted to take hostage the careers of so many?