Higher Education Minister Bandula Gunawardane said yesterday that no decision had been taken to shut down university colleges and the future of the students would be ensured while being allowed to obtain degrees through the University of Vocational Technology (UNIVOTEC).

He told Parliament that discussions were in progress with the students and lecturers of the university colleges to allow them to obtain the degrees through the UNIVOTECH.

The minister said Professor Ranjith who was appointed as the competent authority of UNIVOTECH would attend to the matter.

He said this in response to a question asked by JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake whether it was decided to shut down the six university colleges established in 2014 and whether the government had come up with a programme to ensure the future of the students at the university colleges with the facility to provide them with degree level education.

The minister said steps would be taken to initiate university colleges at every Divisional Secretariat in the future. (Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera)