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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sudantha_s" data-source="post: 3169851" data-attributes="member: 17752">It was announced recently that over 7000 students had gone abroad for their studies after completing the AL examination. Rather naively the Education Minister claimed that this showed how favourably our local Al results were accepted abroad.  This  shows how little the education authorities were aware of the reality that exists in obtaining student placement in foreign institutions of higher studies. Most students who qualify for admission to universities abroad have sat for  the London AL level . Then again foreign universities want some confirmation that the student is proficient in English and this again means that they have to sit for specific exams such as IELT or SAT which again means a lot of spending by parents. And finally out of the many who apply only a few can offer the needed financial guarantees to obtain student visa from the relevant embassies.When one also considers that the demand for higher education provision continues to grow annually the supply cannot meet demand. Often only 12 to 14 percent of the students of over a lakh who sit  are selected for the universities and the fact that a microscopic 7000 to 9000 have received admission to foreign institutions is certainly a matter that should be of concern to the educational authorities. What happens to the   remaining number of apparent drop outs of an education system that has made no provision for them? Many of them expect a better access to employment attuned education.Successive governments perhaps aware of the lack of opportunity for these students have at different times come up with tentative proposals to set up private universities but with the debacle that occurred regarding the private medical college and the vociferous outcry by student organizations and various political parties this idea has been put on hold .Countries such as Singapore and Malaysia, Nepal, and Bangladesh have already established affiliated universities. We in Sri Lanka cater for international professional examinations for their students and employees such as Accountancy and Bank ing and marketing examination. However these are qualifications geared to professions. One institute has succeeded in affiliating with a university in UK for the granting of Degrees in Information technology. But these few opportunities are for students who have an inclination and financial ability to pursue specialized subjects. The majority who want to follow graduate courses are left behind.The present government is aware that the higher education system has been in crisis for several years . Successive governments did not have enough funds to upgrade the universities. This has limited  the majority who qualify for university admission unable to get places on the campus. Furthermore many of the courses in the universities do not have much relevance to the labour market and economic requirements of the country. and due to this a large number of graduates find it difficult to obtain productive employment; They remain unemployed or underemployed for a long period of time and in their  frustration create  social problems and pressurize  the government to employ them eventually .It is certainly sad that the cream of our intelligentsia is not sufficiently skilled to take their rightful place in the country’s economic development .This is chiefly due not only to the inability of the universities to provide a scheme of education that has relevance but also the inability  to accommodate the large number of students who should rightfully be in the campus. It is urgent that the government  with its policy of restructuring education considers the necessity to establish private affiliated university colleges  As Professor Ranjith Mendis stated it is essential to upgrade private educational institutes to university level to accommodate the large number of students who were eligible to enter university but could not do so due to the limited number of national universities.The Central Bank in its Annual report 2007 has called for the laws to be changed to allow private universities to be set up to bridge the skills gap in the country. “There is an urgent need for introducing a market oriented, efficient mechanism to the existing university education system Increasing private investments in university education could produce greater benefits including enhanced access to university education. Private investments would also help improve the quality of education with the increased competition.” The Central Bank has  suggested that ‘the government could seek alternative methods to encourage private investment in university education such as establishment of private degree awarding colleges or institutions in selected disciplines and allow the establishment of affiliated university colleges, The existing university education system could be improved with proposed and ongoing reforms, expanding the intake and creating a more competitive environment.”The educational authorities and the ministries concerned with nation building should take into consideration the recommendation of the Central Bank and formulate new legislation and regulations so that in the initial instances selected schools could have undergraduate classes for students who have been unable to enter universities and provide foundations studies in selected disciplines of relevance to the economy and the job market.  Private sector cooperation could be obtained for these selected schools .   As the Minister of Trade and Consumer Affairs Bandula Gunawardena participating in the debate on the supplementary estimates emphasized there is an urgent need  to set up private universities to provide higher education opportunities at least for parents who could afford to do so, since all students passing the G.C.E. Advanced Level examination could not to gain entry into local universities. And few have the financial ability to send their children for studies abroad.</blockquote>

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