The Hon. (Dr.) Kavinda Heshan Jayawardhana

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, as a doctor who has treated thousands, you know the value of education. The greatest gift parents can give is a good education. We talk of education reforms now. Our concern is whether the Government is politicizing the university system. We must safeguard a depoliticized university environment for our children.

¶ 02 This Bill’s provisions on appointing and removing Deans and HoDs, and imposing term limits, vest significant power in the Council and the Vice Chancellor. Councils often include non-academic appointees; there is risk of politicization. Vice Chancellors are appointed via the President. Today many institutions are politicized. Even the Auditor-General’s appointment has been seen as politically tinted. With VCs appointed thus, empowering Councils risks politicizing the entire system.

¶ 03 We have seen how students were politicized—ragging created class divisions, with tragic deaths and suicides. With this Government we see widespread politicization. Eight of the twelve members of the National Education Commission are political appointees; the National Institute of Education has collapsed.

¶ 04 On policy reversals: you reversed the corporal punishment reform; reversed planned education reforms; reversed extending school hours; reversed the obscene content that crept into the Grade 6 textbook; reversed barring local medical intake to KDU. How many reversals are there?

¶ 05 This is a reverse Government.

¶ 06 You are now reversing education too—perhaps even this debate will be reversed. We have 90% literacy, yet within a year this Government blinded our children metaphorically.

¶ 07 Our greatest asset is human capital. To develop it, we must allow pathways. A UGC circular dated 2025.11.19 on degree-awarding institutions says:

¶ 08 “2.3 Category III – DAIs that have not yet undergone a periodic institutional review. These DAIs may propose only one new degree programme per year until their first periodic review is completed and passed.”

¶ 09 So private universities can get recognition for only one programme per year; five programmes take five years. For those who have passed the periodic review:

¶ 10 “2.1 Category I – DAIs that have successfully completed the periodic institutional review. DAIs in this category are eligible for recognition of up to two new degree programmes per year.”

¶ 11 Even then, only two per year, excluding STEM fields separately. Not every student can enter a state university. Every student who passes A/L with three passes has a right to university education. The options become: go abroad draining foreign exchange and indebting parents, or enrol via expensive franchise degrees—again draining forex. This affects rights and the economy.

¶ 12 On 2026.01.18, Sunday Observer reported: “Interim report on Grade Six module this week.” Today is the 23rd. Has it been tabled in Parliament? No. It also said: “CID to determine legal action under the Penal Code.” Government Members said yesterday it was just a single page or letter. If so, why resort to Penal Code? If it is minor, why invoke criminal law?

¶ 13 Those who inserted obscene website content into children’s textbooks have not been exposed and punished. If you cannot find the mastermind behind this, how will you find the mastermind of the Easter attacks?

¶ 14 Grade 1 starts on 2026.01.29. Fifty percent of schools lack computers and smart TVs. When our Leader, Sajith Premadasa, provided smart classrooms, we were mocked; now those who mocked are pleading. There is no internet; only one term’s books are printed; teachers trained for only one term. We urge you to conduct reforms properly and open our children’s eyes to the world.

¶ 15 In many countries—France, the UK, Australia, U.S. states like Florida—phones are removed in schools; under-16s are restricted from social media. In that context, “Buddy” phone-based initiatives make no sense. Thank you.