INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
State Minister for Higher Education Dr
Suren Raghavan has affirmed that the initiatives to establish Sri Lanka as the hub of education in South Asia have been executed under the
leadership of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.He conveyed this message during a press briefing at the Presidential Media Center today (Sept
Raghavan said;President Ranil Wickremesinghe addressed two key topics in the recent period
One of them is economic reforms, while the other pertains to educational reform
He recognizes that economic development is unattainable without a strong educational foundation
Given the competitiveness of the global economy, progress hinges on an intelligent and well-prepared workforce.Over the past four years, the
Despite setbacks resulting from events such as the Easter bomb attack, the COVID epidemic and various challenges, higher education has made
significant strides this year.However, we are currently facing a shortage of physical resources to accommodate this influx of students
According to global standards, a college should have one teacher for every fifteen students.Unfortunately, in our state universities, there
is only one teacher for every thirty students
higher education and we are actively working towards achieving this balance.Another significant concern is that the majority of students who
sit for the advanced level examination opt for the arts stream
This trend is largely due to the fact that out of the 3,000 schools offering education up to the advanced level in the country, only 2,100
Consequently, the focus of the new education reforms is on creating a system that enables students studying the arts stream to attain a
However, the population of Sri Lanka has now grown to 22 million and the number of children has increased to 4.3 million.Given this
development, it is imperative to focus on enhancing both physical and human resources in the new education reforms
2 trillion will be required to provide the necessary laboratories, hostels, physical infrastructure and human resources for university
students.The largest fund in Sri Lanka, the Provident Fund, currently stands at Rs.4 trillion, with approximately 50% earmarked for
Consequently, the proposal includes adding campuses to existing universities as part of higher education sector reforms.Establishing two
campuses in each of the 17 state universities is expected to alleviate congestion in student enrollment.Additionally, private universities
should be encouraged to thrive
Currently, there are 24 private universities operating in Sri Lanka, with applications received for 20 more
To create global citizens through the university system, scholarships should be made available for students seeking admission to both
private and public universities.Alternatively, a loan system can be implemented, allowing for the recovery of payments based on the chosen
subject streams upon leaving the university
This approach fosters student interest in pursuing job-oriented courses.Research within the university sector has been instrumental in the
development of many developed countries worldwide
However, due to the geographical distance between public universities in Sri Lanka, societal issues have not been adequately addressed
through research.Hence, there is a need for greater integration between universities and society
Intellectual freedom should be promoted within agricultural colleges and internationalization should be embraced by public universities.
