More than 150,000 students qualify for university admission annually, but only 27,000 can be accommodated in state-run universities, State Minister of Higher Education Mohan Lal Grero said. He said others, numbering around 130,000 were left out and some of them opted for vocational education and related areas in the governmental institutions. The Minister was addressing a seminar organised by the Agriculture Faculty of the Peradeniya University, under the theme ‘Peradeniya University and Sri Lanka Food Industry-the inter relationship’ as part of its diamond jubilee commemoration of the University at the Hector Kobbekaduwa Institute, Colombo. That was the reason the government had decided to support private higher education sector, Grero said. The government would introduce a loan scheme for students who had financial problems to enrol in higher education institutes in Sri Lanka. "If we have quality higher educational institutions within the country foreign exchange can be saved," Grero said. The minister said they would also focus on further developing the state education sector. The government was planning to increase state university intake by 15% by 2020. According to its policy the main target was to increase the intake up to 50,000 students by 2020, Grero said.
Both opponents and proponents of SAITM have been coming up with their vigorous arguments. This subject has been debated by politicians, academics and public in many forums. People of different political parties have been demonstrating for and against SAITM. Both arguments have some valid points but which argument over weights today in this modern world? Which argument is most viable and most practical one today in this modern globalized and competing world of brain powers and human resources. I will share my thought on this issue objectively without any bias. Opponents argue that they want to secure free education, they want to maintain the quality of medical education in Sri Lanka, they want to protect the rights of patients in Sri Lanka and they want to protect and preserve the integrity of medical profession. They come up with many good and valid points. I fully agree with them in some of their points. To privatise medical education in a country like Sri Lanka would be dangerous. It has been claimed in India you can buy any degree certificates even MBBS certificates with bribes. We do not want to see that in Sri Lanka. Please do not tell me that we do not have crooks in Higher education. Some crooks may try to make money out of this private medical colleges. With political influences in Sri Lanka, not only medical degrees you could buy PhDs in Sri Lanka. We have seen this in Sri Lanka in recent past. The quality and integrity of university education is fading away in Sri Lanka slowly and gradually. Sometime less qualified people are recruited into university post with political influence. Recent events in Jaffna University is a good example for this political influence. Politicians have been influencing in public institutions, schools, universities, public offices and in many government departments in Sri Lanka. This is not a secret in Sri Lanka and everyone knows this. Except JVP all political parties will use their political influence in these public affairs. I see some valid points in these arguments. No