Disna MUDALIGE
The Human Capital Development Finance Act would be introduced to facilitate legal provisions to enable undergraduates to obtain bank loans on a minute surety bond, Higher Education Minister S. B. Dissanayake said.
Addressing a press conference at the University Grants Commission yesterday the minister noted that the Bill in this regard would be presented to Parliament shortly.
He said that undergraduates would be able to purchase laptops and follow useful diploma and certificate courses in addition to their university degrees using the bank loans provisioned under this new Act.
He said that this would be an encouragement for the students to improve their IT and the English Language skills.
Dissanayake said that under the new Act, employers of both public and private sectors are bound to settle the loans obtained by undergraduates when they are recruited for employment upon the completion of the degree.
He said that this Act is introduced to assure the repayment of loans facilitated by banks.
Meanwhile, commenting on the issue of z score calculation methodology the minister observed that the combination of z scores of the old syllabus and new syllabus was essential for the selection of students for the university admission. He noted that there was no other effective mechanism for this purpose and if students were selected separately from old and new syllabuses some students would have faced injustice.
He observed that z score system was introduced to minimize injustices to students upon the difficulty or easiness of examination papers and subject combinations. He said that 57 students who obtained three A passes at the GCE A-L examination had not gained the university entrance last year due to their subject combination of comparatively easy subjects.
He noted that the z score system should be retained to be fair to all students. He also noted that the university aptitude tests when selecting students were cancelled by the ministry with immediate effect observing the fact that 61 students who have obtained three A passes were unable to enter the Aesthetic University since they have failed the aptitude test.
The minister said that an alternative mechanism had been introduced replacing the aptitude tests in which university lecturers would be appointed to supervise the A-L practical tests for aesthetic subjects. He said that this decision was taken considering the complaints of various parties.
Commenting on the issue in Peradeniya University with regard to ragging and indiscipline provoked by the student unions, Higher Education Minister S B Dissanayake stressed that the students should not be allowed to take the administrative powers into their hands adding that a unitary effort should be made to change this plight in Peradeniya and other universities.
He noted that he has embarked on this endeavour with success.
http://www.dailynews.lk/2012/01/26/news21.asp
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