New law to standardize degrees from state, non-state unis

Amid the continuing controversy on the quality of higher education offered by private sector educational institutions, the Higher Education Ministry is to introduce legislation in Parliament to standardize the degree courses offered by State and non-State institutions, Minister Lakshman Kiriella said yesterday.

The Bill, if enacted, will also apply to the South Asia Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) which offers private medical education.

The minister told daily Mirror yesterday he would present the ‘Quality Assurance Bill’ within the next two months and that Bill was being drafted with the assistance of the World Bank.

“We are working out the finishing touches to the Bill. It is being drafted in consultation with the University Grants Commission and the Vice Chancellors of the State universities,” he said.

There are numerous non-state degree awarding institutions operating in the country and the minister said as many as 50,000 students were studying for management degrees in the non-State sector.

Referring to SAITM, he said the students who graduated were prepared to sit for a licensing examination to be conducted by the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC).

(Source: Daily Mirror)