Budget spotlight on education sector
President Ranil Wickremesinghe in his budget speech announced a series of measures on the expansion of science and technology education in universities. Among them were plans to have four new universities, considering the current trends in the technical sector. They are Seethawaka Science and Technology University (Lalith Athulathmudali Post Graduate Institute will be incorporated into this University), Kurunegala Technology University under the Kothalawala Defence University, Management and Technology University, and an International University of Climate Change.
The president also proposed that the rules and regulations should be adopted to convert four private higher education institutions that are currently in operation into universities. They are NSBM, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), Horizon Campus and Royal Institute. He noted that under the 13th Amendment, provincial councils have been empowered to establish universities and the government expects that provincial councils will also establish universities in the future. He proposes to establish an Education University by integrating 19 Colleges of Education.
Bachelor of Education degrees will be offered to students who complete a four-year programme under an existing College of Education in accordance with the relevant standards. This programme will be implemented step by step, and he proposes to make a Rs 1 billion budgetary provision for 2024 for this programme. “A new Technology University will be established in Kandy under the guidance of IIT University in Chennai, India. India will fully support us in this endeavour.” A programme to enhance state universities to suit the modern era will also be implemented.
This programme will commence at Peradeniya University. Rs 500 million will be allocated for the initial development activities of this programme aimed at the centenary celebrations of the University in 2042. The Department of Allergy and Immunology, University of Sri Jayawardenepura will be upgraded to the National Institute of Allergy and Immunology. Rs 40 million will be allocated for this next year to develop laboratories and other required facilities. “After that, our focus will be shifted to the Universities of Colombo, Kelaniya and Moratuwa.
I request these universities to prepare and submit a formal plan for this purpose. “We will allow any recognised educational institution in the world to establish universities in Sri Lanka once a set of rules and regulations for the regulation of nonstate universities are put in place. This will create opportunities for every student who passes GCE (Advanced Level) to obtain university education and earn foreign exchange through the admission of foreign students,” he added. Loan facilities will be provided to students studying in these nonstate universities. “In addition to the existing interest-free student loan scheme, I propose to implement a subsidised student loan scheme through commercial banks.” Arrangements will be made to repay the loan after getting a job, he said.
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