Oct 27, Colombo: Sri Lanka's Ministry of Higher Education says that the government has made all arrangements to honor the pledges given to the university teachers.

Secretary to the Ministry of Higher Education Dr. Sunil Jayantha Navaratne has said that a committee appointed by the University Grants Commission met Friday to in depth discuss the demands of the university teachers who were on a strike for over three months.

The academics of Sri Lankan universities launched to demand, among others, a pay raise and an allocation of 6 percent of GDP for education sector.

The committee has taken several decisions to provide solutions to the problem faced by the university lecturers and appointed a committee to study several circulars affecting the teachers.

The government, under the agreement negotiated with the university teachers' union, agreed to withdraw all circulars issued that impede the progressive work of university lecturers.

The Secretary has dismissed the accusations made by the President of Federation of University Teachers Association (FUTA) Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri that the government had not taken any initiative to honor the pledges given to them, saying that a committee has been appointed to study the changes the union suggested to take place in the universities.

The University Grants Commission and the Higher Education Ministry have also proposed the names of those who should be appointed to the committee, the Secretary has said, adding that the Ministry has considered appointing representatives of FUTA to the committee.

The University Grants Commission Committee has also discussed the contents of the leadership training program that is to commence soon for the entrants to the universities. The government has agreed to seek assistance of university senates in determining the scope of the university students' leadership programme.

The Ministry has already directed the brochures on the changes to the program to the Vice Chancellors of the universities and the Federation of University Teachers Association.