NEC proposes quality assurance council

Chaminda PERERA

The National Education Commission has proposed for the establishment of a National Quality Assurance and Accreditation Council to ensure that universities, private and public higher education institutions do comply with academic standards.

This Council will formulate national standards and guidelines including credit and qualification framework, code of practice, criteria and guidelines for subject and programs.

The Commission has proposed that this Council should be established by an Act of Parliament as an autonomous body appointed by the President of Sri Lanka and it should directly function under the President's command.

The private institutions which provide cross border education in Sri Lanka will also be brought under the close scrutiny of this Council. It is also responsible for the cyclic review of academic activities conducted by all higher education institutions for the uplift of the academic standards.

Registration of higher education institutions and courses will also be carried out by this Council. The Commission has also focused on the creation of new research culture in universities and a number of recommendations have been made on how the research could be promoted in the universities. An incentive scheme for the students who indulge in research has also been proposed by this policy framework.

It has also proposed to review the admission procedure based on merit and district quota so as to minimize the disparities within and among the district.

It has been proposed that a State initiative is required to promote public-private partnership in higher education sector to meet the growing demand.