by Ananda Kannangara
Education Minister Bandula Gunawardene said the new `National Education Policy’ which is to be introduced soon will protect the educational rights of over four million schoolchildren in the country.
The Minister told the Sunday Observer online that according to the program, the Education Ministry must closely monitor the educational activities of children from Grade one upto the university level.
He said hundreds of advanced level qualified students in our country leave for higher education in foreign countries every year due to lack of accommodations in our universities.
He said out of over 250,000 students who sit for the Advanced Level examination every year, about 160,000 qualify for university education.
“But, we enrol only 22,000 students to universities due to lack of accommodation facilities,” he said.
This situation has become a major problem and many students leave the country to follow various courses such as medical, engineering and Information technology in foreign countries.
He said the proposed `National Education Policy’ will benefit students to have their entire education in our country.
The Education Minister also paid attention towards school in rural and remote areas where some schools function only for a few students.
He said according to a recent survey some schools in the country function for less than 50 students.