No more Mahapola Scholarships: Bandula Gunawardena (Lanka Truth)

Sri Lanka Education Forum > Blog > General

Posted on July 4, 2007 / 3 Comments

(02nd July 2007

– 00:05 S.L.T)

The government has no capacity to continue with Mahapola scheme says Minister Bandula Gunawardene, Minister of Trade, Marketing Development, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs. He said this at a ceremony held to donate Mahapola Scholarships to 642 students who have qualified to enter universities from Galle District.

Addressing the gathering the minister said though there are cries to increase Mahapola grant it would not be possible to do so.

Speaking further Mr. Bandula Gunawardene said Sri Lanka was the country in the world which allocates the highest amount for education. He also pointed out that Sri Lanka was the only country which gives free text books and school uniforms. He said this could not continue amidst the economic crisis confronted by the country.

When ‘Lankatruth’ inquired from Inter Universities Students Federation, a spokesman for the students’ body said when compared with expenditure incurred to maintain the largest cabinet in the world the allocation for education is a trifle. He further said the government came to power pledging to defend free education and if the government attempts to ignore these promises the student population would not hesitate to take stern action against such a government.

http://www.lankatruth.com/full_story/2007/July/02/20070702_02.htm

3 Comments

Mayooresan
July 4, 2007, 2:04 pm
- Reply
I don’t thing they’ll stop the mahapola.. then they’ll loose the support of the University students union…
by the way Sri Lanka is not the country spent more money for education… pioneer is S.Korea.. they spent around 40% to education…!!!
Tuk Tuk Driver
July 4, 2007, 2:22 pm
- Reply
Does South Korea also spend money to produce unemployable graduates in subjects like Buddhist civilisation and archeology?
Che Guera
July 4, 2007, 7:00 pm
- Reply
We have had principals who forced us to do Buddhist Civilization instead of Political Science which we liked. The reason…. the principals were hardcore UNPers and they thought we would become Marxists or JVPers after doing Political Science.

Sri Lankan government doesn’t introduce sociology for OL/AL students. The reason, more or less the same as above. Also sociology criticizes religious establishments bluntly. As long as we have such people in policy making circles, we will have to learn useless subjects like Pali, Buddhist civilization and archeology.