The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya - Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education

¶ 01 Mr. Speaker, the answers are as follows.

¶ 02 (a) Details of students under universities governed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) are in the annex tabled. Additionally, at the Sri Lanka Bhiksu University, one foreign student with a physical disability is studying. The Buddhist and Pali University does not have a specific mechanism for enrolling students with disabilities and has not enrolled such students.

¶ 03 The UGC-governed universities categorize students with disabilities chiefly as: (i) Visually impaired students; and (ii) Students with physical disabilities.

¶ 04 Numbers in UGC universities by admission year:

¶ 05 - 2023/2024: Visually impaired – 21; Physical disabilities – 71 - 2022/2023: Visually impaired – 20; Physical disabilities – 87 - 2021/2022: Visually impaired – 11; Physical disabilities – 66 - 2020/2021: Visually impaired – 18; Physical disabilities – 77

¶ 06 (b)(i) For university admission, the UGC applies a special admission channel titled “Admission of candidates with visual and physical disabilities.” Under this, candidates with physical disabilities are placed to follow degree programmes in Biological Science, Physical Science, Management/Commerce and Arts; visually impaired candidates are placed to follow Arts degrees.

¶ 07 (ii) Candidates with physical disabilities are graded by severity, marks are assigned, and placements are made to the above degree streams considering their Z-scores. Candidates who sat the G.C.E. (A/L) using Braille are placed under the visually impaired category for Arts degrees.

¶ 08 (iii) There is no separate quota beyond the special admission described. UGC universities admit students to the four streams (Biological Science, Physical Science, Management/Commerce, Arts) according to university-approved intake numbers.

¶ 09 (iv) and (v) Inclusive study methodologies are implemented by individual universities. For example, the University of Colombo operates a dedicated centre with facilities to support visually impaired students’ academic work.

¶ 10 (c)(i) and (ii) Under the special admission, physically disabled candidates are placed in Biological Science, Physical Science, Management/Commerce and Arts; visually impaired candidates are placed in Arts. Beyond these four streams currently in operation, with effect from the 2024 A/L intake, the UGC has decided—subject to universities’ concurrence—to expand placements to additional first degree programmes. The UGC has approved a new policy to grant university admission for students with disabilities to all first degree programmes from the 2025 A/L intake, thereby broadening access.

¶ 11 (iii) Without specialization, students with disabilities may also apply under the general admission route to any degree programme of choice, as permitted by the UGC.

¶ 12 Annex tabled.