The Higher Education Ministry yesterday announced plans for establishing a ‘Non-state Higher Education Council’ – an institution to regulate the non-state higher educational institutions -- in a move to curb operations of bogus educational establishments.
Ministry’s Additional Secretary P.G. Jayasinghe said the decision to establish a regulatory body was taken following the increasing number of complaints received by the ministry about bogus non-state educational institutions.
Mr. Jayasinghe said an organization to regulate the standards of study programmes offered in the non-state educational institutions – the ‘Sri Lanka qualifications framework, accreditation and quality assurance board’, would also be introduced to make sure that students obtain the best qualifications.
“We often receive complaints from students and parents about rackets swindling them of their money in the guise of education establishments. The students pay exorbitant amounts of money and follow courses which they later realized were not recognized. Therefore, we have noted the importance of regulating quality and accreditation as well as streamlining the registrations of non-state higher education institutions and the study courses they offer,” he added.
Mr. Jayasinghe said it would be made compulsory for every non-state higher education establishment to register with the ‘Non-state higher education council’ and adhere to the standards set by the ‘Sri Lanka qualifications framework, accreditation and quality assurance board’.
“We will constantly monitor the standards of each institution and if it declines, their accreditation will be withdrawn,” he added.
Mr. Jayasinghe said cabinet approval had been granted for the establishment of the institution and the Bill when drafted would be presented in parliament.
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