More students to universities

Ridma DISSANAYAKE

All measures are in place to increase the number of university entrants this year while recruiting students to private universities in Sri Lanka free of charge. The number of students which the University Grant Commission (UGC) is to recruit to universities will be published in January 2012, Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake said.

Minister S.B. Dissanayake

"Some think that establishing private universities will be a threat to the local universities. But they do not know that currently around 29 private universities are involved in academic activities in Sri Lanka. There is a condition in every private university to grant scholarships for 20 percent of the local students when they recruit new students, he added.

The government is to introduce a new act named Act on Quality Assurance, Equalization, Qualification and Framework with the aim of uplifting the quality of the diplomas and degrees which are being offered by the private universities, the minister said.

All measures are in place to hold the leadership training programme this year too with better quality than the previous year while using students' and parents' ideas and suggestions, said Higher Education Ministry Secretary Dr. Sunil Jayantha Nawaratne.

The Higher Education Ministry will also launch a number of programmes to stop ragging in universities. Currently, the ministry has stopped ragging in 15 universities out of 17 by giving severe punishments such as prohibiting them from attending classes, he added.