Private sector support will help boost higher education - Science and Technology Minister

"The private sector is offering to set up institutions of higher education and the Government should take this into consideration and allow the private sector to do that effectively", said Professor Tissa Vitarana, Minister of Science and Technology participating at the inauguration of Adyapana 2008 organised by the Lanka Exhibition and Conference Services (Pvt) Ltd, under the theme "Guiding to pursue your dreams", held at the BMICH recently.

The Minister said that Sri Lanka is one of the few countries in the world where the Government provides education up to graduate level free of charge. However, he pointed out that there is a limitation of students being admitted to universities, around 18,000 to 20,000 of more than 100,000 who are eligible to follow higher education yearly are accommodated in the tertiary education system in Sri Lanka. "What about the rest?" he queried.

Talking favourably on establishing of private universities, he pointed out the fact that certainly there should be scholarship schemes so that a significant number of poor students who cannot afford, but with merits are also given the benefits of that education. "Either the state must provide it or within the country we must provide it getting the cooperation of the private sector."

The Minister emphasised the fact that it is senseless to send large numbers of young people abroad at considerable expense to themselves and to the country when the country has the capacity to provide that education within the country itself. "Even in the best circumstances, however much the Government and the country provides educational opportunitues, we still need to go abroad to get fine tuned skills which are lacking in our country. We have to combine that in any case without educational system."

Professor Vitarana pointed out that the interaction between educational institutions within the country and those abroad and students here and abroad and teachers is vital to depict their knowledge at the cutting edge level to compete in this competitive world. He mentioned that Cuba still provides a free education to post graduate level to everyone who is eligible and capable of following higher education.

"I would like that to happen in Sri Lanka too. The money spent is wealth spent. It is through that method that we can develop and build our economy and compete with the rest of the world."

Professor Vitarana stressed that we cannot afford to be ignorant, but have to keep a pace with new knowledge while avoiding the dangers of the cram shots by merely memorising facts and figures.

"We have to know sufficient facts and knowledge and get an overall perspective, but at the same time should be able to reason out on the basis of new technologies/ knowledge and to apply that knowledge in a practical and useful way."

He said that amidst the mushrooming number of educational institutions which give a variety of qualifications, are not worth much more than the paper of the certificate that is awarded. Therefore he cautioned to ensure guarantee of quality, education and services for our children and not to jeopardise the future of our children.

The Minister also stressed that fact that children should learn not just to acquire knowledge, but to get an acquaintance with new concepts, understanding of new issues with further critical faculties along with ability to reason, think and solve problems.