Plans in motion to accommodate more undergrads at state universities
View(s):- More than 10,000 additional students from next year onwards
- Student numbers to keep increasing every year, UGC advised to expand existing facilities
Preparations are underway to increase the intake of university students by 10,150 from next year onwards, based on the 2019 G.C.E (A/L) results, the University Grants Commission Chairman Sampath Amaratunga said.
He said requests have already gone out to increase the staff and lecturers at universities to accommodate the additional students. Last year the state universities had an intake of about 30,000 students.
Prof. Amaratunga said out of the 10,150 students 371 students would be taken to the medical faculties, 897 to the management faculties and 407 to the engineering faculties. Another 371 students would be taken for engineering technology and another 815 students for the arts faculties.
The architecture and system technology student intake would be increased by 1,000 students. Discussions had already been held with the Vice Chancellors, the UGC Chairman said.
Accordingly some of the faculties would be shifted to the Sabaragamuwa and Uva Wellassa universities, as these universities had new buildings.
Prof. Amaratunga said Government officials had advised for arrangements to be made to keep increasing the student intake by 10,000 students each year, and they said the existing infrastructure should be expanded to accommodate the increasing number of students.
Meanwhile, plans were underway to conduct online classes for Information Technology and English courses for the next student intake.
Prof. Amaratunga also said students would be encouraged to obtain loans to purchase laptops. Under the current student loan scheme, a student could obtain a loan of Rs. 100,000 which could be repaid within four years.
(Damith Wickremasekara)