SB fails to reveal source of remittance statistics

By Ashwin Hemmathagama Our Lobby Correspondent

Minister of Higher Education S. B. Dissanayake who went public on numerous occasions stating “a considerable amount of money is being remitted annually for the higher education of Sri Lankan students living abroad” was questioned yesterday in Parliament by DNA MP Anura Dissanayake to reveal the source for remittance statistics.

“We don’t have records of students who went abroad for higher education. A separate institution should be established to keep records and to take the count,” said Minister Dissanayake in response, who also suggested contacting Department of Immigration.

According to the Ministry of Higher Education, 86 and 88 students have received scholarships during 2010 and 2011 respectively. These scholarships, which were channelled through the Ministry, are from Bangladesh, India, China, Brunei, Korea, Cuba, Russia, Turkey, Pakistan, Ayush, China, and Serbia, in the study streams of medicine, arts and fine arts, commerce and management, bio science, engineering, biology, global economics, genetics, business management, Ayurveda, agriculture, and architecture.