The Hon. (Dr.) Upali Pannilage - Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, I am pleased to join this debate on the Heads of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education.

¶ 02 Focusing on Higher Education: only about 13 percent of those eligible after A/Levels enter the state university system. There are 17 state universities under the UGC and three more under the Ministry, yet only around 24 percent of eligible students can be admitted. Recognizing this, our interim Budget allocates significantly more—about Rs. 80,000 million above last year for education overall, with Rs. 135 billion specifically for higher education—viewing it as investment, not mere expenditure.

¶ 03 We must strengthen three pillars: what we teach (curriculum), how we teach and learn (teaching‑learning process), and how we assess (evaluation/assessment).

¶ 04 About 144,000 students are presently in universities. Annual public cost per graduate varies: roughly Rs. 260,000 for a Management graduate and about Rs. 1,372,000 for a Medical graduate (as of 2022), illustrating different cost structures.

¶ 05 Student welfare: of approximately 148,000 internal students, about 65,832 receive Mahapola and around 36,000 receive other bursaries—about 71 percent receive some state assistance. From April, Mahapola is proposed to increase from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 7,500 (up 50 percent) benefiting 65,832 students; other bursaries from Rs. 4,000 to Rs. 6,500 (up 62.5 percent) benefiting 36,040 students. We know it is still not enough, but it is a substantial increase. Rs. 4,600 million is allocated for these.

¶ 06 University infrastructure, including hostels and sanitation—especially for faculties with predominantly female cohorts—needs urgent upgrades. This year, Rs. 37,891 million is allocated for infrastructure improvements.

¶ 07 On Vice‑Chancellor appointments: by law (Universities Act No. 16 of 1978), the Ministry does not appoint VCs. University Councils recommend names; the UGC considers and recommends to the President, who appoints. Historically, the process was politicized—previously through Council voting, now through a marks‑based system—both subject to political influence. We have even seen a letter from the head of State Intelligence opposing a candidate on alleged NPP links. We accept depoliticization is necessary and will reform the process.

¶ 08 Staffing: approved academic cadre 13,332 and non‑academic 16,324 suffer large vacancies—about 46 percent academic and 25 percent non‑academic. Years of neglect and inadequate funding stalled recruitments. This year, Rs. 3,000 million is allocated to commence necessary recruitments and address pay issues of academic and non‑academic staff.

¶ 09 We also prioritize student facilities like canteens and sanitation, which are severely inadequate in some faculties. We believe a transformative change in education is essential. As Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

¶ 10 Thank you.