Only 8% of students pursue science subjects -Minister
August 22nd, 2007 - Filed Under General
Only a 8 per cent of students pursue science subjects. This had caused a wide disparity between educational needs and results, said Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama.He was speaking at the convocation of the Indian Chartered Financial Analysis Institute’s (ICFAI University) Sri Lanka Branch at the BMICH recently. Presently the education system had suffered a setback primarily because vast majority of students have been drawn towards the Arts field, he said.
Education is a special topic of discussion today. Everyone is paying attention and looking eagerly as to how they could enter the universities for higher education or admit children to schools for education. Dr. Amunugama said in Sri Lanka only 14 per cent of students sitting the G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination are qualified to the universities.
He said Sri Lanka today boasted about the highest rate of literacy in Asia because every Government since independence had given prominence to social welfare. Every Government had rendered dedicated service in the sphere of education.
Since doors of universities in Sri Lanka are opened to a very limited number of children, middle class parents have been forced to incurr a heavy expenditure in providing higher education abroad for their children.
This spending on higher education had become a big burden on most parents.
At a time when there is difficulty in setting up private universities it is heartening to note that ICFAI had been able to set up a branch institute here.
The ICFAI and other private universities played an important role in the education field in Sri Lanka. Dr. Amunugama said economic development had a great impact on education. IT degrees offered by the Colombo and Moratuwa Universities and the Malabe IT University were very valuable degrees are of a very high standard.
ICFAI University Chancellor Prof. Subash Sarnikar delivered the convocation lecture. K.A. Suresh delivered the welcome address.