28 November 2022 09:27 am Views - 127
By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana
A collective of educational institutes in the North and East yesterday vowed the Government to attract much needed foreign currency to the country by coming forward with a set of proposals that could uplift the industry as well as the economy.
North East Private Colleges’ Association holding a press briefing in Colombo yesterday said that they will hand over a set of proposals to President Ranil Wickremesinghe tomorrow suggesting methods to attract dollars to the country.
Chairman of the collective U. L. M. Anas said they are comprised of over 60 private campuses and colleges of vocational diplomas in the areas of Ampara, Akkaraipattu, Jaffna and Vavuniya, and are keen to join in the national effort of finding much required foreign currency during these trying times.
Anas said out of the set of proposals, the three main points were put forward requesting support and facilities to empower them in their field. One of the three chief requests was to grant them the former Buttala Campus under the University of Sabaragamuwa, which is utilized as an army camp at present.
The chairman explained that by granting them the full control or a 50 – 50 public private partnership of this establishment they could develop it to attract foreign students from the Middle East, Maldives and Bangladesh for a range of demanding higher studies in Sri Lanka.
“Currently we have recognized training programmes on Network Engineering, Nursing and Care Giving, Quantity Surveying and Horticulture. By converting the Buttala Campus back to its former glory, we could utilize that property to generate lot of foreign exchange in the future,” he said.
Another proposal made by the education institute collective was to grant them an Ambassadorship under the Ministry of Education to represent Sri Lanka in foreign academic exhibitions to promote the local higher studies programmes to bring in overseas students.
They also asked the Government to facilitate them with abandoned state circuit bungalows to convert them to specialized elders’ homes for the foreign nationals, who prefer to spend their retirement life in picturesque Sri Lanka. “We have many local students who have successfully completed nursing and care giving courses, whom could be utilized for this industry that is expected to bring in foreign exchange,” Anas said.
Chairman North East Private Colleges’ Association U. L. M. Anas, Secretary M. R. M. Ilhan, Treasurer A. R. M. Sarjoon, Director AI Study Path N. Kokulathas and Director IPHS Hameed Ali were present at the press briefing.