Non-Governmental Universities:

Free higher education for local students

Parliamentary Corrs

Local students will be granted an opportunity to acquire free higher education in Non-Governmental Universities to be set up in Sri Lanka, said Higher Education Minister S B Dissanayake in Parliament yesterday.

He was participating at the Committee Stage Debate of the Appropriation Bill for 2011 when the Financial Heads of the Higher Education Ministry was taken up. He said that about 26 world renowned International Universities have discussed with the Government to commence higher education programs in Sri Lanka and the academic programs of the first Non-Governmental University would commence next April.

These Non-Governmental Universities must follow the conditions of the Government and under these conditions 20 percent from the total intake should be granted to local students as scholarships, he explained. He said the establishment of Non-Governmental Universities would be done under thorough Government supervision and this action would also introduce proper standards for the existing private higher education institutions in the country.

The Minister also observed that these Non-Governmental Universities would save a large sum of foreign exchange that flows out of the country while attracting more foreign income into the country. He noted that this initiative would broaden the free education system. He observed that the local Universities could be further strengthened through Non-Governmental Universities. “We do not harm the free education system. Our aim is to make this country the hub of education in the region. To reach this target we need to meet international standards in higher education,” he noted.

He also mentioned five percent of the students admitted to Non-Governmental Universities would be foreigners and about 150 foreign students would be granted scholarships to pursue higher education here.