Lankan Universities below par, says Minister

Dharma Sri Abeyratne

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan universities once ranked among the best in Asia are today in the doldrums due to student agitation, Higher Education Minister Prof. Vishwa Warnapala said.

Prof. Warnapala said even India has opted for private universities especially in the medical sphere aiming to match global trends.

"But here we have students agitating even at the mere mention of private institutions of learning," the Minister said.

"Standards in our universities have gone down. At one time, we were at the top of the list in Asia. Unfortunately things have changed for the worse," he said. The Minister said the Government was keen on converting local universities into centres of learning and develop a culture of learning in the country.

"The Higher Education Ministry will propose to develop universities as centres of intellectual activities. It is only then can we strive to meet global challenges," Prof. Warnapala said at a ceremony to hand over a land deed to the Institute of Technology of the Moratuwa University by the Urban Development Ministry yesterday.

The Minister said the standards of education in local universities have gone down.

"It is alarming to note that our universities have gone down in the 'University Rankings'. We are far below when compared to Malaysian and Indian Universities," he said.

"We should understand that higher education is the key to development in any country. It is the dynamo or fountain of development of the country," the Minister said.

Urban Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said laboratories and libraries are not closed even at night in other countries. Unlike Sri Lanka, students have facilities to engage in experiments and research even at night, he said.