Inter University Students Federation –what is the secret of their stranglehold?

It is time we understood how the IUSF appears on the surface to act as the conscience of the undergraduates of the State Universities, as they seem to dominate the Student Unions that represent the interests of the Students. Whilst they clearly are the JVP, the students vehemently deny that accusation and state they are not beholden to anyone and they carry out their own policies as it pertains to students.

They appear to tag on to popular themes, but when they are closely analyzed do not make sense, except that they are able to con their members into believing that it is an assault on University Education. One must remember that the IUSF is against all sorts of Private Universities and Private Tertiary Colleges. These are wholly impractical ideas that have seen their day the world over and they should concentrate on improving the quality of education in the Universities. It is the quality that will improve the chances of graduates from getting a job, not the fact that everyone who qualifies gets into university.

It is important to realize that even in places like the UK, the state universities now levy hefty fees and therefore are unable to offer free education. It is a similar issue in the Sri Lankan context as the funds just does not exist to give the University Teachers and Students a decent allowance as required by both, the first an adequate pay for the Faculty and secondly the reduction in the value of the Mahapola schools stipend as it has remained unchanged in 30 years since inception.

So what are students to do? First they need to be educated enough to balance the rights and wrongs of these people. Do they get this education at their universities now? The answer is a firm NO.

There is an assumed leveling off in the rag and that initiation is supposed to build bonds of loyalty to the IUSF. However that is not tenable due to the immediate need to get students to think and take control over their lives. In practice the students get more isolated following a bankrupt philosophy and end up on the shelf in more ways than one unable to get a job, or once they get the job quit without a moments notice.

It is very important that a truly encompassing and inclusive alternative is available to the IUSF, and they are able to explain why they make such claims. It is purely logic and reasoning that needs to be explained to the students and no one till now has been able to hit the right cord with naturally suspicious students.

Ironically it is education that will get the youth to reason correctly rather than take guidance from clearly  very biased people with an agenda that is not practical.