Sri Lanka has one of the highest literacy rates in South Asia with over 92 percent of the population able to read and write. Sadly this does not reflect on the number of people with a university degree. Since the education system as a whole is also driven on a theoretical knowledge model, a higher education becomes even more important to gain the practical knowledge needed for a job role in the private sector.

The university system cannot accomodate everyone qualified enough to enter local universities. In fact only 25,000 can be accommodated while almost 30,000 who are qualified do not get to enter a public university. This means many talented and smart students are forced to consider private universities and vocational training courses. But not everyone can afford to pursue a private degree program due to lack of funds. It affects the human resource supply as a whole because employers don't have a quality labor force with a high valued set of skills to serve the country.