More educational institutions should be created to include vocational training for students who are unable to pursue university education, Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardane said.

He said this after assuming duties as the new minister in the Higher Education Division yesterday and meeting the officials of the University Grants Commission (UGC)

During the discussion, the Minister expressed that urgent need to adapt university education to meet the demand for employment in the country.

Minister Gunawardane said that the President also pointed out that the universities established in the Eastern Province were not functioning properly and instructed the Minister to look into it and take necessary action.

UGC Chairman Sampath Amaratunge also accepted that there are issues at Eastern University and said that instead of the three-year basic degree, it would take eight years and for a special degree and a period of 10 years would be used. 

However, Prof. Amaratunga said that universities in the country are still conducting education properly.

He said in addition to the 16 universities currently run by the UGC, a university for nurses and a sports related university will be established and preliminary work on this has been completed. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)