Sri Lanka a higher educational hub

Angu RAJENDRAN

A visit in a stall

Representative of Northumbria University, Newcastle, Neil Slater explaining to the Minister

Minister of Higher Education, S B Dissanayake addressing the gathering

It was the British who established the beginnings of modern schooling system in Sri Lanka way back during the colonial period in 1836. After independence, the number of schools and the literacy rate of the people substantially increased. According to the Ministry of Statistics, today there are approximately 9,830 public schools serving close to 4,030,000 students, all around the island.

Preferred destination

However, less than 16% of students who qualify in their school leaving exams get admission to State Universities. Though Undergraduate education in State Universities is free, it is extremely limited and most students look for opportunities to study abroad.

It is but no wonder that the UK is a preferred destination for those who look for higher education abroad. The British Council in Sri Lanka has kept this in mind while planning the 20th and biggest Annual Education UK Exhibition at the Hilton Hotel in Colombo last month. Over 57 Institutes from the UK were represented at this Exhibition. Over 3000 Sri Lankan students were expected to browse through this exhibition.

The exhibition was inaugurated by the Minister of Higher Education for Sri Lanka, S B Dissanayake by releasing a hundred balloons. The significance of the balloons was to emphasize the theme for the exhibition ‘Rising to the Challenge’ of higher education.

Making the choice

Arrival of the Chief Guest

For the young students who are dazzled by the array of stalls and Universities, making the choice may seem difficult except that here at the Exhibition is a very unique feature. The counselors from each of the Institutes have been specifically flown in from the UK to help Sri Lankan youngsters make their higher education choices. Parents and students can discuss all their doubts directly with the University staff itself. This definitely beats hours of research on the internet without proper guidance.

According to the British Council Country Director Tony Reilly, the purpose of the exhibition is to give the gamut of choice to the student, all in one place. He said that Sri Lankans value education highly as is apparent from the fact that most parents start saving for their child’s education even before the child is born.

Distance education

The Director was very convincing when he talked about “480,000 International students choose to study in the UK every year.

They cannot all be wrong. There are currently 8000 Sri Lankans studying in the UK and a further 10000 Sri Lankans are studying for a UK degree in Sri Lanka,” he said.

The Director also said that Distance education was now becoming increasingly possible so that Sri Lankan students would get the opportunity to study for an internationally recognized UK degree in the comforts of their home country.

The Director also spoke about the British Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit to India, last week, when he promised to relax certain visa regulations for International students to study in the UK.

This information was made available at one of the eight seminars that were held at the exhibition as well as at one of the stalls.

Minister Dissanayake was very supportive of UK education in Sri Lanka in his speech at the opening ceremony. He hoped that the UK would set up campuses here in Sri Lanka to fulfill the increasing demand for UK education.

From the short discourse between the Minister and Director of British Council at the podium, it was apparent that the nation that gave us our first formal schools over 2000 years ago may set up their own University on our Paradise Island before this year is out, thus paving the path to make Sri Lanka a higher educational hub in South East Asia.

British  Council  Country Director Tony Reilly addressing the gathering		A discussion among the delegates
Visitors at an information centre		The stalls. Pictures by Ranjith Asanka
		The Minister having a look at an education guide