The Hon. Waruna Liyanage

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, thank you for the opportunity. I am pleased to speak on the Education, Higher Education, and Tertiary Education Heads, particularly as our Hon. Prime Minister holds this critical portfolio.

¶ 02 On closing schools under 50 students: In Ratnapura District there are about a hundred such schools. If closed, how will those children—whose parents cannot afford city schools—attend distant schools? The Government proposes free buses, which is welcome, but many areas in our district are inaccessible to CTB or private buses. Please devise solutions for such areas.

¶ 03 On Grade 1 admissions in January: In plantation areas—Balangoda, Kahawatte, Kelani Valley, Udupussellawa, and others—many residents lack land deeds due to LRC litigation. Admissions award 25 marks for land deeds; families without deeds are disadvantaged. Please coordinate with the Land Reform Commission to issue a letter valid for school admissions to confirm residence, enabling parents to secure those 25 marks.

¶ 04 International schools: Around 250,000 children attend them. They are registered as BOI-type projects and outside ministry control. Teacher recruitment, fee structures, etc., are at their discretion. While not advocating full takeover, please bring them under a light regulatory framework to protect students and parents.

¶ 05 On VTA students: About 30,000 study nationwide. Many cannot pay course fees, whether in beauty culture, metalwork, or woodwork. Please select at least five low-income districts and waive VTA course fees to expand access.

¶ 06 Recruitment freeze since the 2022 crisis has left VTA with 1,219 approved vacancies; 698 have been cleared for recruitment; 521 remain. Among them, 53 candidates have now exceeded the age limit of 45 due to delays. Please bring a Cabinet Paper to allow recruitment of these 53.

¶ 07 NAITA allowances: Students in 1-year courses get LKR 5,000 per month; 2-year and 3-year students also only LKR 5,000. Please raise to LKR 10,000 for 2-year and LKR 15,000 for 3-year programs—LKR 5,000 per month is too little in today’s economy.

¶ 08 In Ratnapura, many children study in Tamil medium, but there is no Tamil-medium school for A/L. Please establish one A/L Tamil-medium stream and create a Tamil administrative structure in Sabaragamuwa with a Tamil Director to serve the sizable Tamil student population.

¶ 09 Thank you. I conclude.