The Hon. Amila Prasad

¶ 01 Thank you for the opportunity, Hon. Presiding Member.

¶ 02 I will review the Government’s results over the past year while speaking on the Education Ministry head. The previous speaker said 6 percent of GDP for education is not feasible. If so, why was it promised? People voted believing that commitment.

¶ 03 Before reaching 6 percent, even the additional 2 percent sought last year has not been effectively spent. For example, Rs. 500 million was allocated last year for school modernization; financial progress is virtually zero; physical progress only around 20 percent, likely just on program administration. Schools still lack toilets and basic facilities. If the President allocates funds, why can’t the Prime Minister and Minister of Education ensure they are spent? I request the Government to appoint a suitable Minister of Education.

¶ 04 On scholarships for studies in top-ranked universities abroad: Rs. 200 million was allocated; financial progress is nil; it now seems there will be a rush to use funds at the last moment. This reflects inefficiency.

¶ 05 The Minister once claimed teachers and principals are among the top 10 highest-paid categories; later a State Minister said their pay will be brought into the top 10. Both cannot be true. In future, if we list Ministers of Education by suitability, the current holder will be ranked among the least suitable.

¶ 06 It’s been a year; teacher vacancies of around 38,000 remain. What new measures, beyond those already attempted, are being taken to fill them?

¶ 07 On university ragging: your policy document speaks strongly against it. What new steps are being implemented to stop the use of coercion and indoctrination in the name of ragging?

¶ 08 On appointments of Deputy Vice Chancellors: you said a new, merit-based procedure would be followed. What is the new process?

¶ 09 On increasing university intake: how much additional funding has been allocated since last year to raise intake, and by what percentage will it increase this year and next? You announced a new university for postgraduate research—has funding been set aside this year? Likewise for the National Nursing University? You claim strong government finances on social media; then why not allocate adequately to education?

¶ 10 On the Grade 5 Scholarship Examination: you came to power saying you would abolish it as unhealthy competition. Parents would be happy if their child could walk a couple of kilometres to a nearby well-equipped popular school—then they would not need this competition. How many new schools were started last year? How many will start this year?

¶ 11 A critical issue: although the total number qualifying rose only by about 700—from 51,244 last year to 51,969 this year—the cutoff marks for all popular schools have been raised by about five marks compared to last year. Why? Ministry charts show those with the highest marks have not increased significantly; yet popular school cutoffs rose sharply, reducing admissions. What is the evidence-based rationale?

¶ 12 Ministry graphs also show that children from higher-income families have a higher probability of success at the Scholarship exam, undermining its role in helping poorer students access better schools. This likely reflects the tuition advantage of wealthier families. If we want to curb tuition, we must reduce excessive competition, expand university places, improve school facilities and uplift rural schools. What specific measures has this Government taken in the past year?

¶ 13 On VAT and publications: for 74 of the past 76 years, educational publications did not bear VAT. Now, local publishers and bookshops face difficulty because retailers prefer VAT-paid imported books they can reclaim input tax on, while local books without a viable margin are shunned. The bigger problem is VAT on books, not merely on school supplies. Sales volumes are down. Your Rs. 100,000 VAT registration threshold logic affects many sectors similarly, even small agricultural producers, who are disadvantaged against cheaper imports.

¶ 14 On genuine reforms: instead of slide decks, present the full reform document to Parliament, listing the authors. If you had one, why was it not tabled at the time?

¶ 15 Calculator usage at A/Ls is still restricted; simplifications still rely on logarithm tables. Allow calculators, focus on concepts, and reform assessments accordingly.

¶ 16 Abolishing exams has not worked where tried; look at Finland and New Zealand experiences critically. In Asia—India, China—rigorous assessments drive STEM excellence. Different math papers could be set for different subject streams rather than one-size-fits-all.

¶ 17 About extending school hours until 2.00 p.m.: with two intervals, how much effective learning time remains? In many schools in Mirigama, toilets and water are inadequate. Improve infrastructure first. Also clarify whether teacher pay will be adjusted for extended hours.

¶ 18 We also hear only 10 percent of A/L qualifiers will get medicine. What about the other 90 percent? If state capacity cannot expand quickly, allow quality-assured private universities to create opportunities so our youth can realize their educational dreams alongside strengthened public provision.