No decision to recover money from graduates who go abroad: PM
View(s):The government has not taken a policy decision to recover money spent on free education from graduates who go abroad, Education Minister Harini Amarasuriya told Parliament responding to a question from New Democratic Front MP Ravi Karunanayake.
Free education “is seen as a right in this country,” Minister Amarasuriya pointed out, and it is not simply seen as a transaction between an individual and the government.
“The benefits of free education, and what the student does, is enjoyed by society at large in many ways. It could also be through the remittances that are sent to the country,” she added.
Mr Karunanayake though, observed that while 173,000 students get through the GCE A/Level exams and qualify for university, only 53, 000 are admitted to state universities. On that basis, some 120,000 students are deprived of being admitted to state universities despite having qualified.
The problem has to be seen much more broadly, countered Minister Amarasuriya. “First, free education is a right that we protect. In that education system, we need to inculcate students with a spirit of responsibility and service. This we need to improve,” she acknowledged.
However, she noted, it must be acknowledged that in today’s world, service can happen both within and outside the country. The minister added that broadening opportunities in education is also something the government is doing. This includes broadening opportunities in the existing state institutions, as well as broadening existing vocational education opportunities so that more and more people can access higher education, she said.
“So there are multiple ways that this problem needs to be addressed, multiple ways to approach this problem, all of which we are looking.” (SJ)
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