SLIATE Diploma Awards 2010:

Knowledge based development

Text of the Speech by Higher Education Deputy Minister Nandimitra Ekanayake at the Sri Lanka Institute of Advanced Technological Education Diploma Awards Ceremony held on November 16, 2010 at the BMICH

Deputy Minister Nandimitra Ekanayake

When we trace the history of technical and technological education in Sri Lanka, we find that the foundation was laid by the then British rulers in 1893 by establishing the Technical College, Maradana initially with 25 students.

Not only Civil, Electrical and Mechanical engineering courses but also courses in Management studies were started.

Prior to establishing ‘The Hewood’ in 1952 aesthetic studies was also included in the curricular, Accountancy courses were conducted from 1943 and the Commerce program from 1946.

The Maradana Technical College was expanded and gradually developed into a leading institute for technical studies.

SLIATE was established by Parliamentary Act, No. 29 in 1995. Thereafter all the diploma programs conducted by technical colleges in the island were taken over by SLIATE.

Technological Institutes

Eleven Higher Technological Institutes and five more branches located countrywide were started to conduct Diploma programs in the fields of Information Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, Managements, Business Administrations, Finance and English Language etc.

There is a remarkable difference between the University education system and the system in the Sri Lanka Institute of Advance Technological Education.

Except for facilities like Medicine, Engineering and Veterinary Science etc, the curricular in the Universities are academic oriented, whereas the Sri Lanka Institute of Advance Technological Education curricular provides practical knowledge and training basically for professionals, a job oriented system. As you all know there is a dearth of middle level professionals in Sri Lanka on the one hand and a huge demand for them in the global market including Middle East as well. This institute provides a unique service in being a catalyst in Human Capital improvement towards the newly accepted concept of knowledge-based development.

Higher qualifications

My due respect for the Director General and the Sri Lanka Institute of Advance Technological Education staff for their dedication and enormous services for the past 13 years, being in the forefront of producing and moulding middle level professionals in the field of Engineering, Accountancy, Management, Agriculture, Information Technology etc.

I would like to make a request to the students receiving National Diploma and Higher National Diplomas today to join with the Government and contribute as much as possible to make this country the ‘Miracle of Asia’ as stipulated in Mahinda Chintana concept. In the meantime, dear students do not stagnate in your carrier with this basic qualification. There in a wide spectrum of knowledge ahead of you. Be in the forefront and achieve higher qualifications to become fully fledged Technocrats.

Please allow me to speak a few words about a current issue of national importance.

Certain people are trying to mislead the country stating that today university system is at a national crisis.

According to them the main factor behind this situation, the allegation is that the government is conspiring to abolish the free education system.

Foreign Universities

These are all bogus propaganda by unscrupulous political elements. They are trying to topple the government hook or by crock.

They are misleading the students and parents as well and trying to create unrest all over the country trying to achieve their objectives.

By opening up foreign Universities here, our aim is to widen the opportunities to Sri Lankan students for Higher Education.

At present due to various constraints only around 20,000 can be absorbed into various streams in the universities.

In spite of qualifying for higher education at the G C E (A-L) around 140,000 students do not get the opportunity of entering universities. With the new policy of the government, the free education system will be widened and many more students can be absorbed.

Not only the affluent can enter to the branches of foreign universities but quite a number of poor students will get full scholarships to study in these foreign university branches.

We are now negotiating with these foreign Higher Education Institutes in regard to favourable conditions specially for those students who are not affluent.

Through the expansion of the free education system with these measures, the main objective of the government is to develop Sri Lanka as a centre of International Education. We must reap the maximum benefits of the peace dividend now.