The Hon. (Mrs.) M.A.C.S. Chathuri Gangani

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, I thank Hon. Ruwan Mapalagama for this timely proposal. Every citizen must be subject to the law, yet our current reality raises questions about achieving that ideal. Law without practice is blind; practice without law is barren. Ignorance of the law is never an excuse, yet citizens have had limited opportunities to learn how law affects their daily lives.

¶ 02 Citizens should understand that societies are governed by law; the duty to respect and submit to the law; the purposes of law; and that human conduct must be regulated to protect life and property rights. Building an ethical, disciplined society requires legal education. Our priority is children’s safety, protection, dignity, and legal empowerment.

¶ 03 Education reforms targeted for 2026 aim to prepare children for 21st-century challenges and sustainable national development. The 2019 parliamentary discussions on including Law have now been accommodated within the new reforms. The BASL also urged inclusion of Law to promote civic awareness and democratic participation.

¶ 04 We plan to teach Law within Civic Education from Grade 6 using a spiral approach: Grade 6 “Law for Life,” Grade 7 “The Child and the Law,” Grade 8 “Environment and the Law,” Grade 9 “Law and Social Security,” Grade 10 “Citizen and the Law,” and Grade 11 “Government and the Law-abiding Citizen.” Grades 6–9 will have a compulsory end-term module; Grades 10–11 may choose modules as preferences. Addressing social ills—violence against women and children, drugs, financial crimes, fraud, corruption, and environmental destruction—requires nurturing a law-abiding generation. From 2026, within Civic Education, Law will be included to lay the foundation for a law-respecting society.