The Faculty of Science, University of Colombo has decided to award 2 external degrees, one in Financial Engineering and the other in Electronics and Automation Technologies. External Degree Programmes allow people to follow a course by paying a certain sum of money. So this may seem like a fine opportunity for the people who missed out on their university entrance.
Sri Lanka is known for its free education. Those who perform well enough at the Advanced Level (A/L) Examination, can secure a place at a state university and are able to complete their basic degree without any fee being charged. However, out of all A/L candidates of the Science stream who become eligible for university entrance, only a mere 34% gain admission.
So what happens to the remaining 66% of the science students who miss out on university admission? What options do they have? External Degree Programmes may appear as an option to some. Then again, not many will be able to afford a sum such as LKR 125,000 per year.
Classes will be conducted during the weekends making it convenient for working individuals to follow these courses. But this also means that there will be more people in the university premises (including the library and the canteen) during the weekend.
External Degree Programmes is not a new concept to Sri Lanka. However, the B.Sc. in Financial Engineering and the B.Sc. in Electronics and Automation Technologies are the first two courses to be offered by the Faculty of Science, University of Colombo.
You can read more about this on the faculty website http://science.cmb.ac.lk/edp/ as well as on Anupama’s post http://fos.cmb.ac.lk/blog/external-degree-uoc-fos/
A degree obtained from a Sri Lankan state university is well recognized across the globe. However there is still room for improvement in our higher education system. My personal view is that a greater percentage of students who pass their A/Ls should be accommodated in state universities. This could either mean the expansion of existing universities or the establishment of new universities. But in doing so, the quality of education should not be compromised. So that’s something to think about…
Image source – www.cmb.ac.lk