Sitting of Wednesday, 21 May 2025

Order of business

Speeches load per item. Summaries shown here are AI-generated and labelled; verbatim text is on each speech page.

1. 1 Opening Parliament Opening and Speaker's Announcements 1 speeches ▸
2. 2 Papers Papers - Annual Reports Tabling 6 speeches ▸
3. 3 Petitions Petitions - Presented to Committee on Public Petitions 8 speeches ▸
4. 4 Oral question Oral Question: Lands Acquired for Kurunegala-Habarana Railway Line - Compensation/Ex-Gratia Payment (Q.1/2025) 6 speeches ▸
5. 5 Oral question Oral Question: Bridge at Pansilgoda, Minuwangoda - Non-Completion (Q.2/2025) 7 speeches ▸
6. 6 Oral question Oral Question: Lady Ridgeway Hospital - Donations for Purchase of Surgical Items (Q.3/2025) 6 speeches ▸
7. 7 Oral question Oral Question: Sinhala and Tamil-Medium Government Schools - Teacher Vacancies (Q.4/2025) 4 speeches ▾
   • The Hon. Mujibur Rahman SJB

     AI summary Mujibur Rahman asked the Prime Minister and Minister of Education to provide detailed figures on teacher vacancies in Sinhala- and Tamil-medium government schools, disaggregated by grade levels 1–5 and 6–11. He requested this information nationally, for the Western Province, and for the Colombo Education Zone, and asked what steps will be taken to fill the vacancies and within what timeframe.

     EducationEmployment Full speech →
   • The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya JJB

     AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya provided figures on teacher vacancies by medium and grade level nationally, in the Western Province, and in the Colombo Education Zone. She stated that appointments to Grade 3-1(a) of the Sri Lanka Teachers’ Service had been granted effective 2 May 2025 to National College of Education diploma holders from the 2020–2022 batch. She further noted that recruitments to fill remaining vacancies are ongoing, but recruitment processes under the 2024 estate-sector Tamil-medium gazette and the 2023 graduate recruitment gazette are delayed due to pending court orders, with further action to follow after the cases are concluded.

     EducationEmployment Full speech →
   • The Hon. Mujibur Rahman SJB

     AI summary Mujibur Rahman stated that the Minister’s clarification confirmed a nationwide teacher shortage, framing his supplementary question around the scale of the staffing gap in schools.

     Education Full speech →
   • The Hon. Harini Amarasuriya – Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Training

     AI summary About 40,000 teacher vacancies remain in the education sector, with recruitment delayed by court cases and Public Service Commission recommendations requiring examinations for appointments. The Prime Minister said the Government plans to recruit graduates in line with these requirements and expects to fill some vacancies later in the year. She also undertook to address suspended results affecting university admissions, either by releasing the results or extending the application deadline.

     EducationEmployment Full speech →
8. 8 Oral question Oral Question: Warehouses of Co-operative Wholesale Establishment in Welisara - Lease (Q.8/2025) 4 speeches ▸
9. 9 Oral question Oral Question: Director of Jaffna Teaching Hospital Appointment (Q.9/2025) 4 speeches ▸
10. 10 Oral question Oral Question: Millennium City Housing Complex, Oruwala - Lands for Common Amenities (Q.10/2025) 6 speeches ▸
11. 11 Oral question Oral Questions - Various Tabled and Private Notice Questions 7 speeches ▸
12. 12 Debate Debate: Finance Act Order - Tax Exemptions and Government Policy on Renewable Energy 11 speeches ▸
13. 13 Debate Debate: Finance Act Order - Continued Discussion (Multiple Speakers) 29 speeches ▸
14. 14 Debate Debate: Finance Act Order and Notification on Luxury Tax on Motor Vehicles - Continued (Afternoon Session) 37 speeches ▸
15. 15 Procedural Procedural: Questions on Bank of Ceylon Relief and Allied Health Graduates - Final Business 8 speeches ▸