Saturday, June 6, 2015

What After A/L’s ? Selecting a University / Institute to pursue your Higher Education if you have not entered a local University (Part 01)


What After A/L’s ?
First of all After A/L’s, if you have not entered a local National University system, of course you can do A/L’s for one more year. Annually around 200000 students sit for the A/L exam in Sri Lanka. Only 16% of all eligible Sri Lankan students are recruited to local National Universities, according to the University Grants Commission (UGC) website, leaving 84% neglected in terms of access to higher studies. This has resulted in over 9% studying abroad, a number based on unconfirmed statistical data, according to top Sri Lankan academic, Dr. Athula Ranasinghe, the Head of Economics at the University of Colombo.

Over 10,000 students go abroad for higher education annually but the Higher Education Ministry does not keep records or register students going abroad for higher studies privately. but however, according to the Controller of Immigration and Emigration around 20,000 passports are issued purportedly for those leaving the country for higher education.

Studying Abroad

According to UGC web site, it recognizes foreign Universities/ Higher Educational Institutes based on international acceptance. Universities/Higher Educational Institutes that are listed in the following International Publications which are authentic sources of information on Universities and Higher Educational Institutes in different countries, are recognized by UGC Sri Lanka.
1. Commonwealth Universities Yearbook – (Published by Association of Commonwealth Universities)
2. International Handbook of Universities – (Published by International Association of Universities)

Out of the countries our students goes abroad for bachelor studies,
India has been the most cost effective & the most Internationally recognised universities as the second largest higher education network in the World. Further this is the most recommended option for those who does not enter a local National University by all learned academics in Sri Lanka as well.
Studying in a National Commonwealth Government University in India, is an enriching experience itself. A welcoming atmosphere, non-discriminative approach and an assured educational and career growth is what attracts students from all over the world to India.
The quality of Indian education is comparable to the best available anywhere in the world, while the costs are less and affordable within the reach of every income-group considering the reasonable fee structure.
India is the cheapest place for an international student to attend an university with the annual expenditure coming to just USD 3000 while Australia
has been ranked as the most expensive at USD 42,093.
In the last decade, the Indian economy has taken off and the country has come to play an increasingly important role in the world economy.
With its new economic strength and technological know-how, India is also an increasingly important player on the world stage. The Indian film industry, for example, centered in Mumbai, has come to rival Hollywood as an exporter of films.
Consultation and registration of Sri Lankan & Maldivian students to Indian National Universities & their Faculties, has been conducted in Sri Lanka by AMASA EDUCATIONAL SERVICES since 1991 by its introducer Mr. G.A.W.G. Galgamuwa, which was a National requirement in those days when insurgency in 1978 – 79 closed down all local National Universities & blocked all higher education prospects of our students. He was a Director of the National Youth Services Council during the period, & introduced this new opportunity to our students rightfully which was a National requirement.
Following are a few advantages in studying for an Indian Government Commonwealth State University degree in India consulted though AMASA EDUCATIONAL SERVICES,  
1.     International Recognition throughout the world as these are Government Commonwealth Universities.

2.     All Faculties / Colleges we admit you to are “A” Graded by the “National Assessment & Accreditation Council”. These faculties have been screened by us & we have been admitting Sri Lankan students for the past 24 years.

3.     Cheapest & most affordable Government Degree Programmes available in a foreign Country. The Total Cost to complete 3 years of a General Degree would be between Rs. 250 000.00 – 350 000.00

4.     Most faculties we admit our students to provide in house Guesthouse facilities for visiting parents. & thus Parents can easily visit their children at any time. The return ticket would be Approx. Rs. 25 000.00
5.     Lecturers & Deans of these Faculties frequently pays visits to Sri Lanka. At such occasions we arrange parents & teacher meetings at our office. Thus parents will be getting first hand feedback on your son’s / daughters academic progress, & what needs to be done to keep them on the right track. This is a huge advantage for parents rather than sending their Children to European countries where they will lose all control over their children.

6.     With over 24 years’ experience in the field since 1991, admitting & graduating over 5000 students, We provide after care services to all our students until they graduate & acquire their final degree certificates.

7.     We also provide opportunities for our graduates to find Postgraduate & Phd’ programmes with T.A’s  in Countries such as New Zealand, Canada, Malaysia, UK, Australia etc,…. And even assist in applying for Migration.

8.     You will be eligible to sit for all Government Executive grade entrance exams as these are all Government Commonwealth University “Internal” Degrees. Such as
(a). Sri Lanka Administrative Service Exam’ (SLAS)
(b). Sri Lanka Foreign Service Exam’ (SLES)
(c). Sri Lanka Government Graduate Teaching selection Exam
(d). Government & Private Banking Exams
(e). Direct Entry to a Commissioned Officer Rank of the Tri Forces & Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Rank
(f). All other Government Executive Rank Jobs.

Current Educational Prospects in Sri Lanka :
There are four types of Higher Education Institutes in Sri Lanka.

(1). Public National Universities
(2). Private Institutes which offer their own degrees recognized by University Grants Commission (UGC) of Sri              Lanka
(3). Private Institutes which offer Foreign university degrees in affiliation with Foreign Universities
(4). Professional Institutes

There are a large number of private universities and institutions in Sri Lanka that offers foreign degrees or an equivalent qualification, which calls upon students and parents to be more concerned in their university programme selection.

  • What do you know about these universities / Institutions?
  • Are they actually the same institutes they claim to be or advertise?  
  • Are they recognised Internationally to the same standard of a Government Commonwealth “National University” ?
  • Do the students get the same real time International exposure & experience & quality equivalent to studying in a foreign Government University for real? 
  • Can you enter a National Government University in Sri Lanka or abroad for Postgraduate studies with a Bachelor degree from such a private institute offering a degree from a foreign university / institute ?
  • Are these programmes online, external or distance learning programmes of the mother University ? Thus this degree you get will not be an internal degree.
  • Is your investment worth it ?


(01). National Universities

There are 14 well-established Highly Internationally recognised National Universities in Sri Lanka, offering Bachelors and Post-graduate (Masters, PhDs) degrees in Sri Lanka. However as the government is offering degrees as a free education you need good Z-scores to get selected into these degree programs. Further as the government has limited funds to offer free education these Universities take an annual intake of approximately 26000 students only. Local university system does not have the capacity & funds to accommodate all who qualify for higher education and this has created a plethora of issues for students who fail to enter the system

University of Colombo
University of Peradeniya
University of Sri Jayewardenpura
University of Kelaniya
University of Moratuwa
University of Jaffna
University of Ruhuna
Eastern University Sri Lanka
Rajarata University of Sri Lanka
Wayamba University of Sri Lanka
Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka
South Eastern University of Sri Lanka
The Open University of Sri Lanka
University of Buddhism & Pali of Sri Lanka


(02). Private Institute’s Degrees recognized by UGC of Sri Lanka

Also there are Degrees offered by Private and Semi-government Institutes. Following are those degree programs recognized by UGC (Extracted from UGC web site on June 2015). All these Institutions has one thing in common in contrast to Government State Universities, which is they are all profit earning Private Companies. If they fail to attract students & maintain their minimum income, they will obviously close down.
But it should be again checked if degrees awarded by these institutions are recognised by University Grants Commissions & other governing bodies in foreign countries if you are planning to do your post graduates and a job in a foreign country. !!!

Degrees of Institutes Recognized under Section 25 A of the Universities Act No. 16 of 1978
Degree
Date of Recognition
Institute
Private / State
Bachelors Degrees in Computer Science and in Computer Systems Design
15.12.1988
Institute of Technological Studies
Private Limited Liability Company Incorporated under Company Act
Bachelor of Science (Surveying Science)
24.07.1990
Institute of Surveying and Mapping
Established under Act No. 21 of 1969
Bachelor of Science in Information Technology *
13.10.2000
Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (Guarantee) Limited.









Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (Guarantee) Limited.

Private, incorporated under Companies Act









Private, incorporated under Companies Act
Postgraduate Diploma in Information Technology
30.03.2004
Postgraduate Diploma in Information Systems
Postgraduate Diploma in Information Management
Master of Science in Information Technology
Master of Science in Information Systems
Master of Science in Information Management
Bachelor of Business Administration (Special)(Honours)
23.06.2011
Bachelor of Science of Engineering in Electrical and Electronic Engineering
04.07.2012
Bachelor of Science of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering
04.07.2012
Bachelor of Science of Engineering in Civil Engineering
04.07.2012
Bachelor of Science of Engineering in Materials Engineering
04.07.2012
Postgraduate Diploma in Public management and Financial Management
24.04.2003
Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration
Established under Act. No. 9 of 1982
Master of Public Management
B.Sc in Fisheries and Marine Science(General And Special)
16.12.2003
National Institute of Fisheries and Nautical Engineering
Established under Act. No. 36 of 1999.
B.Sc in Marine Engineering(Special)
B.Sc in Boat Building and Naval Architecture(Special)
Bachelor of Social Works Degree (BSW)
01.06.2005
National Institute of Social Development
National Institute of Social Development Act, No. 41 of 1992.
Master of Social Works Degree (MSW)
07.07.2008
Bachelor of Arts General Degree (BA)
2005.10.10
Aquinas College of Higher Studies
Aquinas College is registered with the Tertiary and vocational Education Commission of Sri Lanka in 1954
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Religious studies (BA in Religious Studies)
Bachelor of Information Technology Degree (BIT)
Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology and Counselling (BSc)
B.Sc. in Business Management (Areas of Specialization: Human Resource Management, Logistics Management, Project Management and Industrial Management)
20.10.2009
National Institute of Business Management **
Established under National Institute of Business Management Act, No. 23 of 1976.
B.Sc. in Management Information Systems
Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)
30.08.2011
South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (Pvt) Ltd. (SAITM)
Established under Companies Act No. 07 of 2007
Bachelor of Science in Business Management (Human Resource Management) (Special)
05.03.2013
National School of Business Management Limited (NSBM)









                                                                                          
Established under Companies Act No. 07 of 2007 and having company number PB 4833
Bachelor of Science in Business Management (Logistics Management) (Special)
Bachelor of Science in Business Management (Industrial Management) (Special)
Bachelor of Science in Business Management (Project Management) (Special)
Bachelor of Science in Business Management Information Systems (Special)
Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management
Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management
Postgraduate Diploma in Industrial Management
Postgraduate Diploma in Project Management
Postgraduate Diploma in Computer Networks
Postgraduate Diploma in Software Engineering
B.Sc (Hons) Maritime Science

09.07.2013
Colombo International Nautical and Engineering College (CINEC)
Established under Companies Act. No. 07 of 2007
B.Sc (Hons) Marine Engineering
B.Sc (Hons) Logistics & Transportations
BA in Buddhist Leadership (BAL) Special
22.02.2013
Sri Lanka International Buddhist Academy
Established under Companies Act. No. 07 of 2007 
BSc in Applied Accounting (General)
12.03.2013
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka
Established under Act. No. 23 of 1959 
BSc in Applied Accounting (Special)

Degree of Bachelor of Science (Special) in Banking and Finance

21.01.2014

SANASA Campus Limited

Established under Companies Act. No. 07 of 2007
Degree of Bachelor of Science (Special) in Insurance and Risk Management
Degree of Bachelor of Science (Special) in Regional Science and Planning

Bachelor of Science in Business Management (Human Resources Management)

26.11.2014

Horizon Campus

Established under Companies Act. No. 07 of 2007

Bachelor of Science Honours Medical Science in KAATSU

07.01.2015

KAATSU Highly Advanced Medical Technology Training Centre

Established under Companies Act. No. 07 of 2007
Bachelor of Science Honours in Medical Science in Acupuncture
Bachelor of Science Honours in Nursing


Note: * Prior to this, this degree programme was recognized as Bachelor of Information Technology on 17th October 2000.
** This was rescinded by the Gazette Extraordinary No. 1800/6 of March 05, 2013.


Sri Lanka Medical Council and many other professional bodies protest strongly
on above Gazette notifications to allow private institutions to award degrees without conforming to professional standards. This has led to a howl of protests.
Some of the main areas where provision has been made to award degrees are in the fields of medicine, engineering and architecture, which is under severe criticism among professional bodies.

The Sri Lanka Medical Council, the governing body for medicine, said it was “gravely concerned” over the implications of the move by the Ministry of Higher Education and the serious consequences that will arise,” Prof. Carlo Fonseka, President of the SLMC, has pointed out many times.

Concern was also expressed by the Institution of Engineers. Its President Shavindranath Fernando said, “We will not allow this regulation to jeopardise the standards we maintain.” He said they were in consultation with other professional organisations to voice strong protests together. The earlier practice was to require private institutions to comply with the certification standards set by professional bodies. Each private institution was required to submit this to the “Specified Authority” who is the Secretary to the Ministry of Higher Education. This requirement has now been made optional.

Thus, as a parent if you are taking the decision to admit your son / daughter to any of these Institution for higher studies, you will have to carry a huge burden & a risk as although these degrees will be recognised by the UGC, they might as well not be recognised & endorsed by the relevant Professional bodies in Sri Lanka.
If your son / daughter is not taken in to the relevant professional bodies once they graduate with the relevant degree, what is the point of wasting several years in life & graduating ?. 

And in the Society would they be taken into the same fraternity by Commonwealth Government University Graduates !!!
(03). Foreign University Degrees offered by local Institutes in Sri Lanka

There are many foreign university degree qualifications including those from UK, Australia, Russia, India, US and many other countries offered by different Private & Government institutes in Sri Lanka rather than going abroad to do the degree programs. Some even offers two years of study in Sri Lanka & one year in the Mother University.

When selecting a Private degree programme, look for following aspects:
This is your major life changing decision which will decide on your entire future.

There are many popped up private Degree programs and Private Degree awarding institutes in Sri Lanka. Rather than recommending any of these degree program, we advise you to look for following aspects before selecting any of these Institutes.

What is the ranking of the degree awarding university in its home country?
Refer globally recognized university rankings such as Times Higher Education-QS World University Ranking, US News and World Report’s World’s Best Universities. University ranking and recognition of a Private University can be a decisive factor in gaining access to well-paid jobs and ensuring a place in an esteemed postgraduate intuition.

But there is a big difference in studying in the original real University in its Mother country & studying in an affiliated institute of the said university in Sri Lanka.

What are the academic quality assurances?
All national and regional accredited universities are listed in the UNESCO handbook of universities. This is used as the guideline by all government higher education authorities including UGC (University Grants Commission) in Sri Lanka.
Degrees awarded locally by these foreign universities must be identical to those granted by the partner universities, and they should be accredited through the relevant accreditation bodies. The partner universities should conduct regular audits and assure equal academic and infrastructural standards. But is it carried out properly,.? is question to ask! 

Who will teach you?
Most of the foreign qualifications offered in Sri Lanka are taught by local lecturers without relevant foreign exposure. 99% of them have never even seen the actual Mother University. This prevents students benefiting from complete real-time international education experience. Furthermore in many local institutions it’s common practice to see majority of faculty members with basic professional or academic qualifications teaching subject areas outside of their sphere of expertise.
Make sure you select the right institution that has lecturers who are qualified to do the job. This is one of the most important aspects.
The Degree awarding University in its mother country, although Private or Government, may be recognised internationally & comprised of high standards in all aspects. But the local private Institute which offers that particular university’s affiliated degree in Sri Lanka may not have at least the minimum required educational qualifications for its lecturers to teach the subjects, let alone the infrastructural comparison.  
These local institutes, in order to maintain their affiliation to the Mother University abroad, may simply pass the student irrespective of the student’s educational standards in order to increase their Students passing percentage. But the product quality of these passing out students will be sadly very low.

What are the local campus facilities?
A good library and student resource centre with adequate reading and study materials, computer labs with up-to-date hardware and software configurations and high-speed internet connections, fully equipped engineering and science labs, classroom with proper seating, space and basic facilities such as multimedia and internet, and air-conditioning are considered as the absolute minimum for any international university student. As a result of limited local resources most local students are unable to enjoy the full benefits of their degree programme in local Institutes in Sri Lanka.

Quality of the students and their values?
Thorough international education is an essential quality in the job market. Furthermore it’s very important to know the calibre of other students who will be with you in the same class.

This is an important aspect of informal education in university student life, which cannot be gained unless you are studying in a real University rather than an affiliated Institute of a real University based in Sri Lanka. You cannot obviously expect the same standards & facilities offered at the Mother University in Sri Lanka.

It’s quite unfortunate to see that graduates who are the products of these private institutions are alien to Sri Lankan culture and values. A proper understanding of local values and the ability to understand local, regional and global issues.  

What are the job prospects for graduates?
The true meaning of university education goes beyond examinations and project assignments. Employers today need graduates with multiple skills who can start with minimum training. This is even more valid for regional and global employment where only the very best gets selected for top jobs.
The examination focused approach of most Sri Lankan private university education establishments fail to achieve the full potential of modern university education. The resulting graduates are not what the companies want.

Are you getting real value for money?
It’s sad to see that many parents and students wasting millions of rupees due to the lack of knowledge in their education decision making. As rightful consumers parents and students have a right to question whether they get full value for their education investment.


(04). Professional Institutes
Professional Qualifications Recognized as Entry Qualifications for Postgraduate Degrees
Qualification
Date of Recognition
Institute
Private / State
Professional Membership of BCS be accepted as an entry qualification for a Master's degree in IT
18.11.2010
British Computer Society (BCS)
Professional Graduate Diploma with Project of BCS be accepted as an entry qualification for a Master's degree in Computer Science

Professional Graduate Diploma of the BCS with Project and a minimum of two (2) years post qualification relavant experience be accepted as an entry qualification for a Postgraduate Diploma or a Master's Degree
Associate Membership of SLIA after completion of SLIA Part III
04.11.2010
Sri Lanka Institute of Architects (SLIA)
Established under SLIA Act, No. 01 of 1976.










Since 1991 AMASA EDUCATIONAL SERVICES has been consulting and admitting over 5000  Sri Lankan students to mainly Indian Government Commonwealth Universities and also for other countries such as New Zealand, Malaysia, Canada etc,... .
Majority of our students have gone to India as you can finish a complete degree including 3 year Hostel fees, 3 years food & living expenses & total University fees within Rs. 10 00 000.00 (One million Sri Lankan Rupees). That too you can pay in instalments within the 3 years. 
After graduation they then either come back to Sri Lanka to follow the Postgraduates  in any National Government University such as, University of Peradeniya or University of Sri Jayawardenapura etc,… or some migrates to countries like Australia, UK, USA, Canada, Europe etc,...
We assist them in each and every step they take until they finish their studies. 
Further we do assist them in getting Permanent Residency in Countries like New Zealand & Canada as well. 
Contact us on 0777 840028 for further information regarding this or visit our website www.education.amasa.lk

By : G.A. Amodha Galgamuwa
AMASA EDUCATIONAL SERVICES


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