Sri Lanka-home away from home to live and learn
View(s):The escalating development of Sri Lanka is attracting a wide influx of foreign students, with a significant percentage from the Maldives.
Currently, 11,000 Maldivians live in Sri Lanka, with 4,000of them registered as students in the country, according to the Maldivian Embassy.
Mohomed Hussain Shareef
Since the end of the Civil War in 2009, Maldivians arrivals began to increase, From 2006-2015, 393,536 Maldivians traveled to Sri Lanka. According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (STDA), 91,998 Maldivians traveled to Sri Lanka in 2016, which is 20% of the Maldives population.
Most Maldivian students find Sri Lanka a more efficient and easy place to study, compared with other neighboring countries. In Sri Lanka, students are able to find a range of affordable courses which they cannot obtain back home. Quality of Education and enthusiastic and Knowledgeable Lecturers and Teachers are what they like most, when compared with the Maldives Education system.
According to the Maldivian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mohamed Hussain Shareef, when families come to Sri Lanka, they admit their children to school here, and after secondary school, they continue their Higher Education here.
“Maldivans generally come here in family units, with very few students coming and living by themselves. Maybe in duplex accommodation with other students,” he reasoned. Maaid Mafaz, 18, Studying for a Diploma in Tourism Management, said “Wide range and choice of courses are available here. I have studied in Sri Lanka since 2012, and find most Lankan teachers are highly educated with years of experience, and passionate about helping students learn.” He also mentioned that its quick and convenient for Maldivians to get student visas in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka having one of the highest literacy rates in Asia, its cost of living affordable and just one hour away from the Maldives, is a major attraction to study in Sri Lanka.
“I don’t feel as if I’m living in a foreign country. I see this place as my second home. I learn so much in Sri Lanka, which is hard to do in the Maldives. This country opened my eyes”, says Shifaz Ali, 26, currently following Masters in Business Administration.
According to 17-year-old Haneen, studying for his O/Ls, Sri Lanka is a great place to study and meet people. To her, Sri Lankan culture is amuzing, as people of different races celebrate different events together, sharing love and unity. “Food is very delicious and it suits our Maldivian palate and travelling is easy and inexpensive,” she underlined.
Sri Lanka is second home to most Maldivian families and students. “None of this would be possible if we were not welcomed by the Sri Lanka Government, which understands and welcomes us,” stated Envoy Mohamed Hussain Shareef.
Sri Lanka is on target to host 50,000 foreign students, along with 10 foreign universities, while aiming to be an international hub of excellence for higher education by 2020. The Government has already commenced formulating the necessary Legislation to Regulate private Higher Education institutes.
- Muzayyin Nazim and Musaffa Mafaz