Minister Wijedasa Rajapakshe has called for the equal recognition of vocational training institutions with universities.
The chairman of a parliamentary committee on higher education, he was speaking to the media yesterday (12).
Youths are reluctant to pursue vocational education, he noted, adding that it should be transformed into the degree-offering level.
Rajapakshe also said that a national education policy was a timely need to uplift the quality of education.
He added that a virtuous society could not be expected from competitive education.
Despite its high quality, local education provides inadequate opportunities and its competitiveness trains children to memorize, not to improve their skills, intelligence or knowledge, said the minister.
An independent higher education commission has been proposed in place of the University Grants Commission and the Vocational Training Authority.
It will be tasked with regulating state and private universities and vocational training institutions, he added.
