After weeks of escalating opposition, Sri Lanka's higher education minister has temporarily withdrawn a proposed Private University Bill. But he is hoping to present a quality assurance bill to parliament related to private higher education providers. Meanwhile, lecturers have joined students in protesting.
Thousands of protesting students have been evicted from the campus of one of Sri Lanka's main universities following a court order. The evictions at the Sri Jayawardenepura campus comes amid disputes between students who have been protesting for days and the government. Students accuse the government of interfering in their lives. A senior opposition figure has said that Sri Lanka's entire education system is in a state of collapse. Despite the arrests of many student leaders last year, and their still pending trials, college unrest has returned on a large scale causing major disruption. At the root of the unrest lie numerous disputes between student activists and the government. Above all the activists' oppose plans for private colleges, which they say will end young Sri Lankans' entitlement to free higher education. They blame both university officials and the government for interfering in their lives - for allegedly subjecting some women students to virginity tests ...
Major student unrest at Sri Lankan universities over government plans to allow the setting up of private institutions looks set to escalate, with students stepping up demonstrations last week and more campaigns organised by student groups in the coming days. Dozens of students have been arrested and some 200 suspended from their institutions. Unrest has been growing over the last two months, spreading to virtually all of the country's 25 universities by the end of October and stoked further by Education Minister SB Dissanayake's hardline stance against protesting students. Unrest has continued at six main universities with exams disrupted, and other activities culminating in the storming of the education ministry in Colombo and alleged attacks on the minister's official car.
At the root of the unrest lie numerous disputes between student activists and the government. Above all the activists' oppose plans for private colleges, which they say will end young Sri Lankans' entitlement to free higher education.
The Higher Education Minister said the government is planning to enhance academic and non-academic facilities and physical resources of universities and encourage the establishment of private universities to attract more foreign students.
Doctors, lecturers, students, trade unions and other groups in Sri Lanka have called on the government to close down the country’s first private medical university and to stop the establishment of other private medical institutions – a move that could have implications for international providers planning to set up branch campuses. The call came in the wake of a debate in Sri Lanka’s parliament last weekend on the South Asia Institute of Technology and Medicine, commonly known as Malabe Private Medical College. The medical college is a branch of a Russian university and is located in Malabe, close to the country's largest city, Colombo. The college will confer Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy degrees.
Student groups in Sri Lanka are in uproar over fears that the government wants to ban their main union, the Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF). Students said this would be a step towards destroying the education system and would pave the way for private universities.
Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake issuing a statement on the Supreme Court verdict which dismissed the Fundamental Rights petition filed against the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) said he was happy that the Malabe Private Medical College can now continue awarding degrees.
The University Grants Commission recognises degrees offered by a foreign university through its affiliated body, the Malambe campus, Higher Education Minister Prof. Wiswa Warnapala told Parliament yesterday.
Establishing private universities in Sri Lanka is not bad since private universities of high quality are essential for the progress of both developed and developing countries.
The Private University Bill is to be re-introduced by the Higher Education Ministry next year, Deputy Minister Nandimithra Ekanayake said. Speaking to The Sunday Leader the Deputy Minister said that under the existing business registration system, a private higher education institute or university can be opened in Sri Lanka.
The government has undertaken to set up non-state universities through the Board of Investment (BoI), leaving aside the Higher Education Ministry only to standardize such academic institutions, officials said yesterday.
The government’s decision to set up private universities through the Board of Investment has met with a positive response from several foreign universities wishing to invest capital and set up affiliated universities and colleges from leading universities abroad. Ten universities from the United Kingdom and India have already sought approval to set up such institutions.
Higher Education Minister S.B Dissanayake addressing the opening of the first phase of the Malabe private medical college teaching hospital yesterday said despite whatever criticism the government might face from the medical fraternity, it would continue its efforts to take private medical education to greater heights in Sri Lanka.
The government of Sri Lanka says that private education is a necessity to meet the demands of the youth population in the country. Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake said the government would support to develop private medical education in the country.
Students backed by the Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) took to the streets this week protesting against moves to restrict ‘free education’ in the country, by promoting private educational institutions.
A student union in Sri Lanka says the students' movements in the country would oppose moves by the government to re-introduce the private universities bill.
University students in Sri Lanka have commenced an agitation campaign against the government's move to introduce a bill to legalize private universities.