University dons to be charged bond fee when leaving overseas?

It has been proposed to introduce a procedure under which university dons will have to pay a bond fee when going overseas for studies and research to prevent them from remaining in those countries.

This proposal was discussed by the members of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) and the officials of the University Grants Commission (UGC) at the parliamentary complex yesterday.

UGC Chairman has informed COPE that degree awarding institutions are not being regulated by the Ministry of Higher Education though that power had been taken over by the Ministry of Education a few years ago. He said that even state university will collapse if the UGC is not given back the power to monitor all universities.

It was also proposed that IT education courses should be introduced by every faculty in all universities.

A sum of Rs 400 million is to be spent for constructing IT labs in all 15 state universities.

It was further revealed that STEM education will be introduced in schools in the future where they will be categorized on that basis.

A broad discussion took place with regard to treating the national schools and provincial schools alike. (YOHAN PERERA)