Sri Lanka’s population of 21.4 million should righty have 22,000 intellectuals with doctorates from all fields and engaged in research, but the country’s current total is less than a quarter of that number, according to Minister Susil Premajayantha. 

“When you count all the universities, research institutes the number of researchers with doctorates in science arts and commerce fields is 5300,” he said.

The Minister of Science, Technology and Research stated that even out of that 5,300 only 3,000 are currently actively engaged in research activities. 

“Now where are we heading? Our literacy is over 93%. Among school children or youths between the ages of 15 and 30 this literacy is 96%,” he said, speaking during an event in Colombo today (10) to mark World Science Day. 

However, he said that percentage is only 46% in Pakistan, but their ratio of the number of researchers is higher than Sri Lanka’s. 

Premajayantha stated that professions and job opportunities are create in the country and the world through the science and technology streams and that it is the responsibility of the Education Ministry to ensure that students exit the school system with knowledge on that subject and path. 

“Therefore we hope to introduce STEM reform within the next couple of years,” he said. STEM education is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines — science, technology, engineering and mathematics 

“We have to go for this STEM reform,” he added.