The Hon. M.L.A.M. Hizbullah

¶ 01 Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem.

¶ 02 Hon. Presiding Member, I rise to contribute to the Votes of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education. I appreciate the Hon. Prime Minister and Minister, the two Deputy Ministers, the Secretary and officials for their dedicated work despite economic limitations and structural challenges. Stabilizing the system, strengthening teacher recruitment and introducing digital learning are commendable.

¶ 03 Hon. Prime Minister, our curriculum must evolve for the 21st Century. Beyond rote learning, today’s children need critical thinking, creativity, financial literacy, environmental awareness, STEM and technology literacy. The Ministry has begun updating the curriculum, but we must accelerate so every student gains future-ready skills.

¶ 04 Smart classrooms, digitized textbooks and online platforms are progressing, but the digital divide still affects thousands, especially in rural districts. Strengthening ICT, computer labs, AI literacy and mathematics is essential; no child should be left behind for want of a device or internet.

¶ 05 Teachers are the backbone. We need continuous skills development, transparent transfers, and urgent filling of shortages in mathematics, science, English and ICT, especially in rural and estate areas.

¶ 06 Many schools, particularly in the Eastern Province, still lack science labs, libraries, IT facilities and even basic sanitation. I urge prioritizing infrastructure so a child in the East has equal facilities to any child nationwide.

¶ 07 The job market is changing rapidly; reforms must equip youth with employable skills. Strengthening Technical Colleges, NVQ pathways, apprenticeships and industry-linked training is essential. Sectors like renewable energy, agri-tech, maritime, health sciences and ICT can offer great opportunities if we educate properly.

¶ 08 We must strengthen universities—expand capacity, promote research and innovation, and build strong university–industry partnerships, including collaborations with international campuses to retain talent.

¶ 09 Education reform is a national necessity. If we modernize the curriculum, empower teachers, digitize learning, strengthen infrastructure and provide equal opportunities, we can produce a generation to lead Sri Lanka to progress.

¶ 10 I also highlight the need to strengthen and expand non-State universities. State universities admit only about 17–20% of eligible students; many talented youth go abroad, draining foreign exchange. The Government should promote, regulate and support non-State universities as partners—expanding access, reducing outflow for foreign education, introducing modern programmes, encouraging private investment and international collaboration, and providing job-oriented education.

¶ 11 Please introduce stronger policies and incentives: a clear, transparent regulatory framework; land allocation for reputable institutions; tax incentives for research, labs and infrastructure; foreign university partnerships; scholarships and bank loan support for middle-income families; and robust quality assurance. Strengthening non-State universities is not privatization but capacity-building and expanding opportunity.

¶ 12 Finally, I draw attention to children of Sri Lankan expatriates. Though citizens, they are treated as foreign students at State universities because they lived abroad and studied there, leading to exorbitant fees—around USD 15,000 per year for medicine and USD 8,000 for engineering. Please consider scholarships or concessions for Sri Lankan children overseas.

¶ 13 Regarding Meelad Muslim Vidyalaya, Dehiwala: many MPs spoke; Hon. Sammanmalee Gunasinghe said action was taken. This is an important school. Around 230 parents have applied for Grade 1 next year, but there are no classrooms and no facilities. Hon. Prime Minister, please personally intervene and take appropriate action.