President emphasises need to prevent brain drain to achieve rapid development

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa last week emphasised the need to prevent brain drain in order to achieve rapid development in the country.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa

“If the Government as well as the private sector can ensure that a high standard of education is provided by local universities and other higher educational institutions, it may even be possible for us to start attracting international students to study in Sri Lanka and convert the higher education sector into a foreign exchange earner for the country,” the President said.

The President addressing the Convocation of the General Sir John Kotelawala Defense University held at the BMICH said the General Sir John Kotelawala Defense University should strive to be an exemplary higher educational institution not just in Sri Lanka, but in the region as well.

During the convocation, degrees were awarded to 1,282 students. President Rajapaksa presented awards to the outstanding graduates for the year 2019.

Speaking further, the President noted that the free education system had a truly transformative impact on Sri Lanka, and said it should always be protected.

“We must allow those who can afford to pay for private education to follow their higher studies in Sri Lanka instead of going abroad,” the President added.

President Rajapaksa pointed out that a great deal of work must be done to understand the true potential of the country’s education system.

He explained that due to the current exam-centric education system students’ opportunities for higher learning have been narrowed considerably. Irrespective of the skills, aptitudes and knowledge gained by students throughout their primary and secondary education, their future is effectively determined by their exam results, the President said. This focus on exams has created parental pressure and social pressure on these children. This has resulted in large numbers of children losing out on many opportunities to develop themselves in other ways during one of the most decisive periods in their lives, he added.

“We cannot allow our children to get lost in this education system. That is why we must broaden the opportunities available for further education through both the state education system as well as through the private sector. It is critical to increase the intake of students into universities and other tertiary education institutions. More investments need to be made to upgrade their infrastructure facilities and increase their human resource,” the President said.

President Rajapaksa pointed out the importance of universities offerings degree programs in a way which will ensure that their courses will help them to be gainfully employed.

The 21st Century is widely acknowledged as the Knowledge Century. Many new technologies ranging from Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Robotics, the Internet of Things, Biotechnology, 3-D Printing, and Automation, will reshape economic growth in developed countries over the coming decades, the President said. He also stated that such transformative technologies must be adopted at their early stages.

The President emphasised that in this context, it is important to stress that the lack of Government resources should not be an inhibiting factor in achieving the broadening of tertiary education options. If we can increase the availability of high-quality tertiary education providers in the country, we can reverse the ‘brain drain’ as well as help to reduce significant outflows of our foreign reserves.

The President explained the importance of improving the quality of existing vocational education institutes and technical colleges in line with global standards.

“As outlined in the ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendor’ Policy Document, which has now been endorsed as the Policy Document of the Government, we have ambitious plans to effect the reforms that are required in the education sector, from preschool through to the tertiary level,” the President said.

The General Sir John Kotelawala Defense University was established under the Sir John Kotelawala Defense Academy Act No. 68 of 1981 with the aim of producing highly qualified Tri-Forces officers. In the year 2009 the then Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa elevated this into a university. Establishment of the Medical Faculty, registration of local and foreign cadet officers, introduction of postgraduate degrees for research and development activities, establishment of the Southern University in Sooriyaweva and construction of state-of-the-art hospital were done under his tenure.

Minister Bandula Gunawardena, Defence Secretary Major Gen. Kamal Gunaratne, Chief of Defence Staff, tri-forces commanders, Admiral Daya Sandagiri, the Chancellor of General Sir John Kotelawala Defense University and the staff of the University participated at this occasion.