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Sri Lanka
10th Parliament· 154 sittings on record · 30,475 speeches · latest 10 June 2026

Sitting of Friday, 20 June 2025

10th Parliament· 18 debates· 194 speeches· 60 speakers

Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 1751600792021434 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard

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Order of business

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

  4. 4 Oral question Oral Question: Grade Five Scholarship Examination Successful Candidates (Q.159/2024) 7 speeches
    • Mr. Speaker procedural
      Full speech →
    • The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law SJB

      AI summary Dayasiri Jayasekara asked the Prime Minister and Minister of Education to provide annual figures from 2022 onward on students who passed the Grade Five Scholarship Examination, including how many were from low-income families. He further asked whether measures would be taken to conduct the exam without disadvantaging children and parents, and whether the Government intends to discontinue the exam in future, including the proposed date and reasons for doing so.

      Education Full speech →
    • The Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna - Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education JJB

      AI summary The Deputy Minister, responding on behalf of the Prime Minister and Education Minister, provided figures for Grade 5 Scholarship Examination pass rates and low-income student numbers from 2022 to 2024. He stated that the examination will continue unchanged until 2029, with a committee to be appointed in 2028 to review its future and the Department of Examinations tasked with redesigning papers to reduce pressure on children. He added that the Government is working to reduce school disparities and introduce alternative school placement and assistance options, with any discontinuation decision to be considered after 2028.

      Education Full speech →
    • The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law SJB

      AI summary Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara questioned the delay in implementing education reforms, noting that the last major syllabus overhaul was in 2016 and planned reforms for 2023 had not occurred. He raised concerns that proposed timelines would delay Grade 6, O/L, and A/L reforms until 2026, 2029, and 2033 respectively, while ICT syllabi remain unrevised, and asked whether the process, including assessment reforms supported by the ADB, could be expedited.

      Education Full speech →
    • The Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna - Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education JJB

      AI summary Dr. Madhura Senevirathna stated that the Ministry agrees on the need to accelerate curriculum reform, noting that ICT has not been substantially updated for about 15 years despite the normal eight-year revision cycle. He said the 2026 curriculum development process, including for Grades 1 and 6, is organized into five components covering curriculum, assessment, and strategic changes, with project timelines and accountable officers. He added that gaps in previous reforms have been identified and are being addressed through a structured programme within defined timeframes.

      Education Full speech →
    • The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law SJB

      AI summary Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara raised concerns about severe teacher shortages in National Schools, citing Isipathana College, Colombo, as lacking around 52 teachers and having no English-medium Mathematics teacher. He also questioned reported inadequacies in the quantities of eggs and chicken supplied under the school nutrition programme, and asked what action is being taken on teacher cadre shortages and nutrition provision.

      Education Full speech →
    • The Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna - Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education JJB

      AI summary The Deputy Minister said teacher shortages persist by subject even in urban schools, alongside uneven deployment across the system. He stated that future graduate recruitments and teacher college intakes should be subject-based and vacancy-based, supported by a teacher balancing policy and an improved data system to track postings and transfers between National and Provincial schools. He also said the Ministry is reviewing school meal implementation with nutrition and health authorities and seeking a technical report to address gaps in provision and documentation.

      EducationPublic Finance Full speech →