Prime Minister and Education Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya has raised concerns over a gradual decline in the number of Sri Lankan students qualifying for and entering higher education, calling the trend a serious challenge for the country.
The Prime Minister made the remarks at the launch of the Mahapola Scholarship Programme’s alumni web portal. She said the number of students progressing from Ordinary Level examinations into higher education has been decreasing over time, and that the issue needed urgent national attention.
Higher education provides critical training, professional development and broader global exposure that are essential for producing leadership across every sector of the country, Amarasuriya said. She added that expanding access to advanced learning — not only through universities but across all forms of higher education — remained a key priority within national education policy.
The Prime Minister did not disclose specific enrolment figures in her remarks, but the concern echoes long-standing public concerns about university capacity, the share of A/L qualifiers admitted to state universities and the leakage of qualified students to private and overseas institutions.
Turning to the Mahapola scheme itself, Amarasuriya said delays and inefficiencies in scholarship disbursement that had been identified following the change of government in 2024 had now been resolved, with the fund managed more efficiently. Students under the improved system currently receive a monthly allowance of Rs. 10,000, she said, describing it as a significant achievement.
The remarks align with the government’s broader higher education reform agenda announced in May and the recently adopted national AI policy framework for higher education. Students have also seen expanded access through the A/L scholarship scheme for foreign universities, while a Court of Appeal ruling has opened examination processes to RTI scrutiny.
Source: NewsFirst — Drop in Students Entering Higher Education Raises Alarm, Says PM.
