Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna, M.P.

Jathika Jana balawegaya (JJB)· Nuwara - Eliya

Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education

Profession: Medical Doctor

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Speeches 125 #36 of 225·#17 in party

Attendance 5/8 days present (of recorded)

Speech history

125 speeches

26 September 2025 AI summary On behalf of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, the Deputy Minister requested two weeks to respond to the question. The matter was accordingly ordered to stand down. Oral Questions: Department of Irrigation and Community Infrastructure (Q.9/2025) and Education (Q.10/2025) Parliamentary Procedure Read →
23 September 2025 AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna stated that discussions had taken place with a specific group in the North and requested details of the particular case raised. He said the matter would be addressed as necessary and referred to the forthcoming Education Council. Oral Question Q.6/2025: Principals' Recruitment and Confirmation Education Read →
23 September 2025 AI summary The Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna said the issue concerning a specific group of principals in the North arises because they were not recruited under the Sri Lanka Principals’ Service procedure, leaving them outside standard transfer and allowance arrangements applicable to SLPS principals. He noted that only mutual transfers within the same category are currently possible, limiting options, and stated that the matter would be taken up with stakeholders and referred to the Education Council once it is established. Oral Question Q.6/2025: Principals' Recruitment and Confirmation EmploymentEducation Read →
23 September 2025 AI summary On behalf of the Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, the Deputy Minister stated that 1,399 officers were appointed on a supernumerary basis to Grade 2(ii) of the Sri Lanka Principals’ Service and 142 to Grade 3 under 2012 Cabinet and Public Service Commission decisions. He said these officers may be confirmed and promoted only within the supernumerary stream, are not entitled to the Principal’s Allowance beyond salary benefits, and may obtain only mutual transfers with officers in the same category. He added that appointment to substantive cadre vacancies must follow the SLPS Minute through limited competitive examination and required qualifications, and that many current recruitment and transfer issues arise because these appointments were outside the standard SLPS recruitment procedure. Oral Question Q.6/2025: Principals' Recruitment and Confirmation Public FinanceEducation Read →
20 August 2025 AI summary Deputy Minister Madhura Senevirathna responded to a matter raised by Hon. Withanage, stating that the professorial unit for the University of Moratuwa was established on scientific grounds. He said the recommended site, 52.111/1, was unavailable, so the unit was located at Nagoda, and assured Parliament that there would be no delay and students could graduate on time. Debate: Samurdhi (Amendment) Bill, Rubber Control (Amendment) Bill, Sports Law Regulations, and Judicature Act Rules EducationInfrastructure Read →
5 August 2025 AI summary On behalf of the Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, Dr. Madhura Senevirathna tabled an answer stating that Matale District has 310 government schools. It reported that 14 schools conduct A/L Technology, 19 Mathematics, and 20 Science streams, with relevant lists submitted as annexes. The answer outlined measures to promote these streams, including student awareness programmes, career guidance, directing O/L-qualified students to relevant A/L streams, filling teacher vacancies, conducting camps, and training and deploying teachers. Oral Questions: Education, Energy, President's Fund, Western Provincial Council Vehicles, Public Security, Pirivena Education, Hospitals in Matara, Land Settlement, Coastal Patrol, and Marawila Schools Education Read →
5 August 2025 AI summary An advisory committee including Supreme Sangha Nayaka Theras and subject experts is considering amendments to the 1979 Act, with recommendations to follow. A technical subcommittee is also involved, and several discussions on syllabus revisions have already been held, with the process expected to continue without obstruction. Oral Questions: Education, Energy, President's Fund, Western Provincial Council Vehicles, Public Security, Pirivena Education, Hospitals in Matara, Land Settlement, Coastal Patrol, and Marawila Schools Religion & CultureEducation Read →
5 August 2025 AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna stated that Pirivenas teaching school subjects will undergo curriculum reforms in the coming year, including IT, computer science and internet connectivity, aligned with global standards. He added that revising the syllabi of other Pirivenas requires amendments to the 1979 Piriven Education Act, and that an advisory committee has been appointed for this purpose. Oral Questions: Education, Energy, President's Fund, Western Provincial Council Vehicles, Public Security, Pirivena Education, Hospitals in Matara, Land Settlement, Coastal Patrol, and Marawila Schools EducationReligion & Culture Read →
5 August 2025 AI summary On behalf of the Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, details were provided in response to Question 863/2025 on Piriven Education. The response listed the categories of Pirivenas, subjects taught, and current enrolment of 69,108 students, and stated that the 2025 Budget allocates Rs. 7,518 million for Piriven Education, comprising Rs. 210 million in capital expenditure and Rs. 7,308 million in recurrent expenditure. It was also stated that the Pirivena curriculum will be revised under forthcoming education reforms. Oral Questions: Education, Energy, President's Fund, Western Provincial Council Vehicles, Public Security, Pirivena Education, Hospitals in Matara, Land Settlement, Coastal Patrol, and Marawila Schools Public FinanceEducation Read →
5 August 2025 AI summary Complaints about the University of Ruhuna’s Faculty of Engineering, including space constraints, have been raised with the University Grants Commission. Discussions are underway on issues including buildings and current semester arrangements, and a further meeting has been scheduled with academic staff, non-academic staff, and students of the Faculty. Oral Questions: Education, Energy, President's Fund, Western Provincial Council Vehicles, Public Security, Pirivena Education, Hospitals in Matara, Land Settlement, Coastal Patrol, and Marawila Schools InfrastructureEducation Read →
5 August 2025 AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna stated that the education reform programme, including the White Paper, is consistent with existing education policy and is not an abrupt change. He said the Government is not closing low-enrolment schools, but will reorganize schools with fewer than 50 students through a data-driven, participatory process involving public representatives and local administrative officials, with some such schools continuing in reorganized form to expand educational opportunities. Oral Questions: Education, Energy, President's Fund, Western Provincial Council Vehicles, Public Security, Pirivena Education, Hospitals in Matara, Land Settlement, Coastal Patrol, and Marawila Schools Education Read →
5 August 2025 AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna said education planning accounts for declining birth rates while reforms aim to ensure distance, poverty, and gender do not prevent children from completing 13 years of schooling. He stated that teacher salaries have seen substantial increases since 2016, including recent Budget adjustments aligned with comparable public service categories. He said the Government aims to place the Teachers’ Service among the ten better-paid public services and does not consider the current salary scale unfair. Oral Questions: Education, Energy, President's Fund, Western Provincial Council Vehicles, Public Security, Pirivena Education, Hospitals in Matara, Land Settlement, Coastal Patrol, and Marawila Schools Education Read →
5 August 2025 AI summary The Deputy Minister provided a detailed response on school numbers, staffing, salaries, vacancies, and Grade 1 admissions on behalf of the Prime Minister and Minister of Education. He stated that Sri Lanka has 396 National Schools and 9,700 Provincial Schools, with 237,787 teachers and 12,567 principals, and placed district-level salary and school data in the Library. He reported 1,497 vacancies in National Schools, noted legal and policy-related delays to major teacher recruitment processes, and outlined recent and planned appointments including diploma teachers, English-medium teachers under “English for All,” and estate-sector Tamil-medium Teacher Assistants pending court proceedings. He also stated that 3,148 schools have fewer than 100 students and provided recent and projected Grade 1 admission figures, with further details in annexures. Oral Questions: Education, Energy, President's Fund, Western Provincial Council Vehicles, Public Security, Pirivena Education, Hospitals in Matara, Land Settlement, Coastal Patrol, and Marawila Schools EducationPublic FinanceEmployment Read →
24 July 2025 AI summary Responding to concerns about estate-sector education, the Deputy Minister said infrastructure and human-resource distribution problems exist across districts, including in estate areas, but school development decisions are made using general criteria rather than a separate “estate schools” category. He noted transport difficulties and said the Ministry consults coordination committees, including Divisional Secretaries, when deciding which schools to develop. He also stated that assistant teachers serving estate communities were intended to be absorbed into the Teacher Service within five years, but this is currently delayed due to ongoing court proceedings. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) EducationInfrastructure Read →
24 July 2025 AI summary Deputy Minister Madhura Senevirathna outlined the Government’s education reform framework, saying it is guided by free and equitable access, employability, social responsibility, sustainability, innovation and lifelong learning. He said reforms would be implemented through five pillars—assessment, teacher training, public awareness, curriculum, and infrastructure and administration—with Grade 6 changes commencing in 2026 and a review planned by 2028. He highlighted plans for accessible local schooling, activity-based and exam-free primary education, modular learning in Grades 6–9, new literacy and skills modules, and stronger integration of vocational education from Grade 9. He also said the Scholarship examination would be reconsidered in 2029 if equitable provision makes it unnecessary. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms Public FinanceEducationWomen & Children Read →
23 July 2025 AI summary Stated that the matter is still being drafted and that the House will be informed in due course. Adjournment: Questions at Time of Adjournment Parliamentary Procedure Read →
23 July 2025 AI summary The Deputy Minister explained that recruitment and salary placement in the Sri Lanka Teacher Educators’ Service are governed by the 2015 Service Minute and Establishments Code provisions, with limited-basis recruits placed according to their last drawn salary. He said any salary anomaly must be addressed through a broader policy decision covering all executive services, and noted that an Education Council and a Cabinet Memorandum are being used to pursue service-by-service solutions while a pending Fundamental Rights case, SC/FR/077/2025, may affect further action. He also stated that admissions to Faculties of Education, delayed by COVID-19 and national conditions, are being regularized by admitting the 2023 and 2024 A/L cohorts together from December 2025, with intake numbers determined by infrastructure, hostel capacity, and academic staffing constraints. Adjournment: Questions at Time of Adjournment EducationPublic Finance Read →
11 July 2025 AI summary The Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education, speaking on behalf of the Prime Minister and the relevant Minister, requested two weeks’ time to answer the Question, citing the need to compile a substantial volume of data. Points of Order and Standing Order 27(2) Questions Parliamentary Procedure Read →
20 June 2025 AI summary Dr. Madhura Senevirathna said that when principal vacancies arise, teachers may act in those roles, but appointments must comply with service rules. He stated that future placements will be made according to the criteria of the Education Administrative Service and the Principals’ Service, which should prevent the concerns raised from recurring. Oral Question: Acting Principals in Government Schools (Q.Unspecified/2024) Education Read →
20 June 2025 AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna said acting principals serving in difficult schools, including in Monaragala’s Siyambalanduwa and Etimale areas, have not received justice despite earlier appeals and parliamentary attention. He noted that, as former Chief Minister of Uva, he had granted them an allowance and urged that the issue be treated sensitively. Oral Question: Acting Principals in Government Schools (Q.Unspecified/2024) Education Read →