Mar 04, Colombo: A group of university lecturers, trade union leaders, representatives of students' organizations and several civil society movements in Sri Lanka have formed a movement to agitate for the protection of free education in the country.

Co-convener of the National Movement for Protecting Free Education, Ven. Dhambara Amila Thero has said at the launch of the movement that awareness needed to be created among the people on the need to protect the free education system in the country.

He has observed that concepts like cluster schools, Navodya schools, super schools are personal projects of members in the government.

He has added that the government's latest thousand schools project would be another failed project in two years.

According to Ven. Amila Thero, the movement would carry out a programme to win free education for the children of the country.

Also, Co-convener of the Movement, Senior Lecturer Devaka Punchihewa has said the government that wastes 2 percent of the GDP for frauds, corruption and wasteful spending, but allocates only 1.56 percent of the GDP for education.