Education system needs changes - SB

Priyanka KURUGALA

The country's most talented human resources enter universities annually. Nevertheless, 60 percent drop out.

The time is ripe to change this system, Higher Education Minister S B Dissanayake said.

The minister was addressing an awareness programme for university student leaders at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, Colombo yesterday.

The workshop was organized by the Sri Lanka Freedom Students' Organization.

"The government is ready for discussions with university students. Students are reading books which are only related to their subjects. They lack general knowledge," he said.

"The present education system is limited only to books. Some students say that the government will ruin free education.

"However, they have banned students from talking in English, talking with lecturs and providing assignments through CDs. Under these circumstances, I wonder if free education could exist in universities," the minister said.

"Therefore, we have to first create a free education system inside universities," Dissanayake said.

"Young students like to explore new things. However, certain elements with sinister motives are trying to stop this.

"They do this because they themselves don't know English. Therefore they are trying to stop others from conversing in English," he said. Professor Prema Kumara de Silva of the Colombo University, Dr Ajith Dissanayake of the Kelaniya University, Colombo University senior lecturer Dhamma Dissanayake and Higher Education Ministry Student Affairs Director General Keerthi Mawellage also spoke.

Sri Lanka Freedom Students' Organization General Secretary Amal Madarasinghe and Senior Vice President Gihan Bandara also participated.