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Higher Education Ministry seeks wider powers despite President cancelling related gazette notification
A fresh move to introduce a Bill in Parliament to give wider powers to the Ministry of Higher Education on deciding on subjects of issuing accreditation to Degree-awarding institutions, quality assurance and higher education qualifications framework and taking over some of the functions of the University Grants Commission (UGC) is under way.
The move comes hard on the heels of the Government’s decision to withdraw a controversial gazette notification published in the Sunday Times last week, which allows private institutions to award Degrees without conforming to professional standards.
The Draft Bill which provides for the Establishment of a Council for Higher Education Quality Assurance and Accreditation, is currently under study, pending its presentation in Parliament.
According to the provisions of the draft Bill, the proposed Council is to comprise seven members with the chairman. However, the Bill does not mention the required qualifications of the members, but vaguely states that members have to be experts in fields such as Management, Industrial and other disciplines.
The Council, when established, will oversee both State and private universities. The functions of the present Quality Assurance and Accreditation Council which is under the UGC, will be taken over by the new body under the proposed Act.
“The UGC will be reduced to a mere fund disbursing body, with no actual powers vested in it by the proposed Act”, Federation of University Teachers’ Association (FUTA) General Secretary, Dr Rohan Fernando told the Sunday Times.
Dr Fernando stressed that the Ministry of Higher Education has breached the agreement with FUTA in trying to establish legislation pertaining to the Higher Education sector in the country, without consultation with the FUTA.
The Bill gives the council, powers to withdraw accreditation, and fine and imprison any Degree-awarding institution which does not comply with the standards specified, within given deadlines.
“The Bill does not state what happens to the students of an institute when an accreditation is withdrawn,” Dr Fernando said.
However, Higher Education Ministry Secretary, Dr Sunil Jayantha Nawaratne defended the proposed Act, saying that the council is to become a national body with expertise drawn from all State universities as well.
“The present council under the UGC, will become an internal body to look after State universities. It will be similar to the UGC performing an internal audit, while the new council performs an external audit,” he said.
Dr Nawaratne also said that, he would consult all stakeholders before the Bill, yet to be finalized, is presented to Parliament.
Meanwhile, President Mahinda Rajapaksa this week advised the Higher Education Ministry Secretary to withdraw a gazette notification to award Degrees in the fields of Medicine, Engineering and Architecture, without conforming to professional standards from the respective professional bodies.
The Sunday Times last week reported on the gazette notification.
“The President has advised the ministry to withdraw the amendment, so I have requested the legal draftsman to advise the ministry on how best it can be done,” Dr Nawarartne said.
Professional bodies including the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) have expressed their strongest opposition against the amendment. The SLMC also made representations to President Mahinda Rajapaksa requesting his intervention to withdraw the amendment.