WB project to reform higher education

The World Bank last week announced a higher education development project to modernise and reform higher education in Sri Lanka. The project comes under the new Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) of the World Bank and the project will be started in mid 2010.

Senior economist and team leader of the World Bank Harsha Aturupana said that the project consists of four components.

First, institutionalising norms for the higher education sector which includes development of a National Higher Education Qualification Framework (NHQF) and establishment of a Quality Assurance Mechanism (QAM) for the sector.

The second component covers promotion of relevance and quality of teaching and learning.

It includes two components: setting up a institution-wide development fund to strengthen economic and social relevance of university programs by improving English language and IT skills of students and developing the student learning environment.

Under the second component the project will provide quality enhancement and innovation grant for improving teaching, learning and research in university faculties and degree programs.

Under the third component the project will expand and strengthen alternative higher education.

It will focus on expanding the coverage and scope to promote regional equity of access to alternative higher education. It will also focus on modernisation of the programs and the management in alternative higher education.

The fourth component covers HR development, monitoring, evaluation and coordination and communication.

Under this component the project will assist HR development of academic, managerial and technical staff in the higher education sector, policy studies, research and monitoring and evaluation.

A team of experts from the World Bank provides technical assistance to implement the project. The team consists of Harsha Aturupana, Senior Economist, Yoko Nagashima, Education Specialist, Benoit Millot, Lead Education Specialist, Lianqin Wang, Senior Education Specialist, John Fielden, Lead Higher Education Governance Specialist and Sam Mikhail, Lead Specialist in Alternative Higher Education.

Dr. Benoit Millot said that issues such as inadequate capacity in the universities to absorb all eligible students and employability of the graduates are not unique to Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is among the countries in the region which spends a large amount of money on the education sector. Graduate unemployment is an issue in many countries.

Unemployment is higher among more educated groups in many parts of the world.

Education alone does not provide employment and the demand for the skills are determined by the market. The capacity of the economy should be improved to absorb the graduates.

Aturupana said that this project would not solve all the prevailing issues in Sri Lankan universities and it needs several similar projects.

This is a Government project and the World Bank provides financial and technical assistance only.

The project costs US$ 40 million and the implementation period is five years, he said.

(GW)