The Hon. Ruwan Mapalagama

¶ 01 Thank you, Hon. Presiding Member, for the opportunity in this debate on the Votes of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education.

¶ 02 The Opposition criticized this Budget, but people remember who once humiliated a school teacher in public, and who used tear gas and batons on teachers demanding professional rights. Against that memory, let me highlight what this Budget does for students.

¶ 03 The “Suraksha” student insurance, launched in 2017 and stopped in 2022, is being relaunched from 2026. It will cover not only Government, Government-approved private, and assisted schools, but also pirivena—Grade 1 to 13—covering about four million students, with 7,112 million rupees over three years, including health, accident, and life cover. As of 31 October 2025, 40,852 students have received 1,274 million rupees via this insurance.

¶ 04 Students in schools with under 300 students will receive a 6,000-rupee grant—benefiting around 1.6 million students. In addition, all children in Aswesuma beneficiary families will receive 6,000 rupees from the Ministry of Finance. Transport will be provided for all children in schools with fewer than 250 students, and in certain zones for schools under 500 students, partnering with a local manufacturer. Sanitary pads will be provided for girls from Grade 6 upwards where needed. For pirivena education, 696 million rupees has been allocated.

¶ 05 An Opposition MP said reforms were just slides. That is wrong. Here is the report on education reforms—provided to all MPs upon request of the Hon. Prime Minister and published online—prepared with the National Education Commission, the Ministries of Education and Higher/Vocational Education, the National Institute of Education, the Department of Examinations, the Educational Publications Department, and the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission. There are ten clear objectives and documented processes.

¶ 06 Finally, on the “tuition mafia” comment: I, too, was a tuition teacher. Tuition is supplementary education; it arose from systemic needs. During COVID, when schools were closed, tuition teachers provided online education islandwide. If a tuition teacher lawfully pays taxes, why is it an issue if he buys an expensive car? If there are tax compliance problems, address them. But do not malign an entire profession. Over half a million people—teachers, organizers, printers and others—depend on the tuition sector. I ask whether that statement reflects the position of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, given many tuition teachers supported them.

¶ 07 Thank you.