Hon. Kabir Hashim

¶ 01 If it is being used, 61608.

¶ 02 Hon. Prime Minister, next I have another matter. When this government came to power, you promised to break several mafias and monopolies — for example, the rice mafia, pharmaceutical mafia, electricity mafia, customs mafia, monopolistic conglomerates, and also the tuition mafia, among others. You promised to break monopolistic power. But look at the tuition industry today. This government has presented two Budgets, yet has not addressed this. It is a huge industry. The tutoring industry has become an industry generating around Rs. 160 billion annually. The problem is that it extracts and exploits the poorest parents and children; it is from them that this money is made. The government has also failed to break other monopolistic powers like the rice mafia despite the rhetoric. The public now suspects the government does not act against the tuition mafia because there are secret deals with it. When speaking about the Education Ministry, there has been no clarity on what you will do. The JVP and other left parties strongly oppose private education and have historically acted against it. Yet, while free education is being distorted by this tuition industry, you raise your hands and allow it to flourish. There is a large contradiction here. Why has the government not taken steps against this mafia that places severe pressure on poor parents and children?

¶ 03 Let us say one Budget passed and you could not act. This is the second Budget — why still no policy? For hundreds of thousands of parents, this is a huge issue. What steps will you take to change this situation? If it cannot be changed at once, will you bring regulations, will you regulate the sector, will you reform it, will you put in place a programme to protect free education? If none of that is discussed, people will suspect you are in league with them. Some say the tuition mafia funded election expenses for you — perhaps. After all, this is a Rs. 160 billion-a-year industry.

¶ 04 During this JVP government period, we have seen more luxury cars being brought into Sri Lanka than before. I have not seen so many such cars earlier. Among them, two Rolls-Royce cars were recently imported. There may be only four or five Rolls-Royce cars in the whole country; recently, one of the two imported cars belongs to a tuition teacher. That shows parents’ money is funding such purchases. How many tuition masters actually pay taxes? Fine — if there is an industry, anyone can do business; I do not oppose that. But then you must regulate the industry. How many engaged in this sector pay taxes?

¶ 05 You increased VAT significantly, even on small retailers, and lowered registration thresholds so VAT hits vegetable sellers too. Taxes rose that way, but there is no issue for this elite tier. Why is that? Today, small and medium industries are being taxed, but nothing is prepared regarding this sector. That shows where the government stands.

¶ 06 In both Budgets presented by this government there is no mention of regulating this industry. Let me cite examples of steps that could have been taken. Gamini Mahindapala, Secretary to the Uva Province Education Ministry, issued a circular some two to three years ago prohibiting primary school teachers from doing tuition — a very progressive decision. The government had the opportunity, in the last year and a half, to extend this to other provinces, but you did not. Next, the Western Provincial Education Secretary issued a circular in December 2024 also prohibiting school teachers from doing tuition. But your own State Minister, Mr. Maginda Jayasinha, acted against it and annulled that circular, saying teachers can do tuition. Then who is giving legitimacy to this tuition industry, if not you?

¶ 07 I know people fear to talk about this because tuition teachers can exert influence. But the greater harm is to parents and children. Almost everyone must pay Rs. 10,000–20,000 per month per child for tuition; if a family has three school-aged children, they are finished. Is this free education? Are you protecting the meaning of free education?

¶ 08 The General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers’ Union, Joseph Stalin, and other unions have long spoken against this mafia. When Hon. S. Raghavan served as State Minister for Higher Education around 2023, regulations were proposed to regulate this industry, with several key measures. You could have reviewed and implemented them — but you did not. Therefore, as the Opposition, we expect a clear commitment from the Prime Minister on this.

¶ 09 After Independence, we built a strong university system — one that reflected our commitment to social justice, giving everyone the opportunity to attend university, investing in human capital since 1948. But in recent times, a severe distortion has emerged: a large gap between the number of students who qualify for university and the number actually admitted, due to lack of accessibility. Access matters. I have not seen the government address this to date; it is a serious issue that must be confronted. The JVP, FSP and others oppose many progressive solutions; they are allergic to them, especially if the private sector is involved in competing for solutions. Some of their fears are understandable — education should not be commodified — but we need progressive, evidence- and data-based, fair and rational solutions. Practical solutions are necessary, or we will stagnate. We were once first in education and literacy in Asia. Today, our children go abroad everywhere for education. It is sad. We must learn lessons.

¶ 10 Consider North Colombo Medical College (NCMC) at Ragama: it was opened on 21 September 1981 under President J. R. Jayewardene, chaired by Dr. Guneratne Wijeysekara. The JVP opposed it, bombed it in 1987, and closed it in 1989. By 1990, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad took the Sri Lankan medical faculty staff to Malaysia and launched the International Medical University in Kuala Lumpur. Today, each year about 100 Sri Lankan medical students go there. Even the child of Mr. Send Badhiudeen goes there. We expend millions of dollars abroad. That university could have been here; you closed it.

¶ 11 Now, Sri Lanka has 22 universities, of which 16 are under the UGC, offering 126 degree programmes. In 2023–2024, 194,336 students qualified to enter university, but only 43,882 were admitted — 22%. That means 77% of qualified students were rejected due to lack of space.

¶ 12 Take medicine. By 2023–2024, Sri Lanka had 12 medical faculties — two of them opened during the Yahapalana period. Yet, at the last intake, 27,586 students qualified for medicine, but only 2,106 were admitted — 7.6%. Thus, 92% of qualified students were rejected. Where do they go? We spend tens of millions of dollars sending them abroad. Among the 7.6% admitted, perhaps 50% are from privileged families; among the 92% rejected, perhaps 50% are poor. Where do those poor children go? Will you create space for them? Or will the government, even while spending only about 6% on education overall, build more medical faculties and provide facilities? We need an answer.