- U’grads to earn degree credits by demonstrating specific skills
The Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Ministry is pressing ahead with a comprehensive overhaul of the higher education policy, introducing measures that include bond agreements and a new "micro-credential" system, in an effort to stem the country's brain drain and ensure that the substantial State investment in free education yields tangible returns for the national economy.
Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (1 June), the Deputy Education and Higher Education Minister, Dr Madhura Senevirathna detailed that the new frameworks are being designed to more closely align higher education with the nation's human capital needs. A key focus of the initiative, according to him, is to address the employment gaps facing graduates in fields such as the humanities, where local job opportunities have historically been scarce.
The new policies aim to create pathways for these graduates within the domestic job market. In parallel, he said that the vocational education stream is also to allow students to enter their professions directly while also having the option to complete their degrees concurrently with their employment. This approach is intended to reduce the incentive for graduates to seek opportunities overseas.
Another significant factor demotivating local scholars, he acknowledged, has been the limited scope for career and academic progression. To counter this, the Ministry is introducing a "Micro-Credential" system, a practice already established in other countries but novel to Sri Lanka, according to him. Under this policy, students will be able to earn credits towards their degrees by demonstrating specific, verifiable skills, thereby making their qualifications more dynamic and responsive to industry demands.
Beyond curricular reforms, the Ministry is also implementing binding agreements to manage the outflow of talent. He said that bonds are now being signed with professionals and students prior to their departure. This applies to doctors travelling abroad for consultant training programmes, as well as to the country's top students being sent to prestigious international universities. Furthermore, separate, profession-specific policies are being developed, with a framework for engineers currently in the pipeline.
In a related development, he also added that a policy on artificial intelligence in higher education has now been finalised.
Despite the fact that hundreds of graduates come out of the universities annually, a Peradeniya University study reveals that over 50 per cent of State university graduates migrate permanently, with this figure soaring to 80%-90% in critical fields like medicine, engineering, and agriculture. Overall, over 75% of Sri Lankan annual departures are in the skilled professional and academic categories, making the investment that the State has made on them not benefit the domestic economy. In the wake of this situation, the Ministry is taking these measures to encourage professionals and scholars to seek opportunities in the country itself.