Sept 24, Colombo: The trade union of Sri Lankan university academics, Federation of University Teachers Associations (FUTA) and the Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) will start three protest marches today.

The FUTA will start one protest march from Getambe in Kandy and the other march from Galle Fort. The marches will proceed towards Colombo.

They are to reach Colombo on September 28 and a protest rally will be held in Colombo Hyde Park. September 28 has been declared as a protest day.

Another 26 trade unions and civil society organizations have also expressed solidarity with the FUTA and will participate in the marches.

Meanwhile, the IUSF will commence a protest march today from Kandy which will reach Colombo on the same day.

Both organizations demand the government to guarantee education rights of the people and allocate more funds for education.

Sri Lanka, which has a high literacy rate thanks to the free education system from grade school through universities, has spent less than 2 percent of GDP for education in recent years and the sector is in a dire state with lack of facilities at all levels.