Higher educational opportunities to save forex, enhance professionalism

by Lalin Fernandopulle

Providing more higher educational opportunities for Sri Lankan students will help save the drain of valuable foreign exchange and enhance professionalism in the country, said Secretary to the Ministry of Higher Education, Dr. Sunil Jayantha Nawaratne.

He said around 10,000 Sri Lankan students go abroad to obtain higher educational qualifications every year and this has been estimated to cost nearly Rs. 12 billion to the country an year.

“Setting up more non-state universities will provide additional avenues for students to pursue higher education and save money on exorbitantly high overseas education”, Dr. Nawaratne said.

Setting up non state universities have come under strong criticism by the JVP and certain university student factions as a move to privatise the university and free education in the country and give priority to students of the affluent class in seeking jobs.

Dr. Nawaratne said encouraging foreign universities to set up universities would enable more youth to obtain higher educational qualifications at an affordable cost.

“Through more universities we hope to increase the university intake to 50,000 from the current 22,000 annually”, he said.

Free education in the country is enhanced by scholarships offered by non state universities which provide opportunities to around 3,000 students to study in universities each year.

“The Ministry of Higher Education will allow state and non state universities to enrol foreign students. Around 10,000 foreign students will be admitted initially and then increased to around 100,000 by 2020”, Dr. Nawaratne said.

A large number of students go overseas to obtain professional qualifications each year as the present university structure restricts the intake.

According to estimates around two percent of those who sit the G.C.E Advance Level examination qualify to enter universities.

Lack of space and resources at universities have caused officials to curtail the intake of students each year.

As a result of limited opportunities a large number of students leave the country to pursue higher education overseas. Depriving educational opportunities to students had led to frustration and student uprisings in the past. The loss to the country as a result of student unrest has been enormous.

Academics and professionals are of the view that setting up more non state universities will help address the lack of facilities in universities and provide more opportunities for the drop-outs to pursue higher studies. Dr. Nawaratne said the quality of higher education could be improved through the practices of world class educational institutions.

He said Sri Lankan academics working overseas will be invited to come back and share their expertise to develop the country.

Representatives from several foreign universities had visited the country to look into the possibility of setting up institutions.

“Representatives from universities in India, Australia, US, Malaysia and Singapore had visited various locations to set up branches. An investor has shown interest to invest around US$ 1 billion to set up an educational park in the North Western province”, he said.

Former Senior Lecturer of the University of Moratuwa and expert of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, Dr. Nishantha Nanayakkara said what is unfortunate in the school education system is that it is focused on producing the one percent university entrants forgetting the drop-outs which results in breeding hatred and envy in society.

“Focus on schools and training of teachers have become unimportant due to the less productive money spent on higher education. Higher education should be demand driven to produce resourceful youth who could be absorbed to the development machinery of the country”; he said. “Higher educational institutions should be made self sustainable through changes to the university schemes so that students could select appropriate courses.”, Dr. Nanayakkara said.

Educational experts believe that university education has failed to produce competent people the country needs. The output from universities is not upto the mark and many despite educational qualifications fail to obtain jobs.

Lack of practical experience and competency to deal with complex tasks and be far-sighted are yet to be aspired from those of the higher seats of education. Dr. Nanayakkara said loans and grants should be given to all those who seek higher education and could obtain professional qualifications through university, technical college or private institution.

“Government grants for research in medical, engineering, architecture, science, social studies should be increased to at least five percent of the budget which should be accessible to private universities”, he said.

Increasing grants for research and development will help create a conducive environment to enhance the quality of human resource the greatest asset of the country.