Sri Lanka's university teachers' association has announced a one-day strike to protest severe staffing shortages in the state university system, which have prevented admission of recent Advanced Level examination candidates.
The Federation of University Teachers' Associations (FUTA) has called for a one-day strike by university lecturers to draw attention to what it characterises as a deepening crisis within Sri Lanka's state university sector. According to FUTA Secretary Charudatta Ilangasinghe, the association had already undertaken trade union action during the preceding week to underscore the severity of the situation.
The core grievances centre on a shortage of lecturers and insufficient numbers of qualified academic staff at state universities. Ilangasinghe pointed to a critical consequence of these shortages: prospective students who completed the 2025 Advanced Level examination have been unable to secure admission to state universities as a result of capacity constraints linked to staffing limitations.
While acknowledging that the President has announced intentions to establish 50 new state universities, FUTA has argued that immediate priority should focus on preserving and strengthening the quality of the existing 17 institutions before pursuing expansion. Ilangasinghe indicated that FUTA remains open to dialogue with authorities, but stressed that a permanent and comprehensive solution is required to safeguard the integrity of higher education in Sri Lanka.