The Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees, as we open the first Sitting of the New Year, I wish all Sri Lankans a happy New Year. Though we speak under the Fisheries Ministry, even to be a fisher, education matters; therefore, I must address the crisis in education.

¶ 02 We agree reforms are needed; we even pledged to support proper reforms without street protests. Historically, the JVP opposed reforms; this time we sought transparency instead. Yet the Ministry concealed everything. Syllabus development is also needed, but inputs we made in subcommittees and special committees were ignored.

¶ 03 Five circulars have already been issued changing school calendars; another came last Friday. On 5th, schools reopened without a timetable. Ten thousand schools are in disarray—from the bell schedule up. Uniforms are still undelivered; Grade 6 teachers have no modules or guides for three hundred thousand students. The Ministry has become a stage for circus.

¶ 04 Beyond the notorious Grade 6 English module’s website issue, we hear of “owls and bees” buzzing inside the Ministry—i.e., shadowy groups influencing decisions above the Minister, Secretary, NEC and NIE. In any case, no one is above the Minister and Secretary; that was not so in 2024, and should not be now. Save the sector from these “owls” and “bees.” “Think Equal” should mean equality awareness, not promotion of homosexuality.

¶ 05 On 21 September 2025, the PM said the new reforms were driven by the NPP’s Education Committee. Before unions, it was said the Party’s committee drafted them. If so, is the NPP/JVP education policy to promote homosexuality among children? Let that committee come before the public and answer.

¶ 06 The module issue is misuse of state funds—punishable under Section 111 of the Anti-Corruption Act, No. 9 of 2023. I place that page in the Library. Rs. 60 million were spent printing only the English module. What about transport costs? Now, tearing out pages will cost more—one rupee a page across half a million pages is another Rs. 5 million. These are taxpayers’ funds. The same provision was used against a former President; will it not apply to the current Minister, Secretary, NEC and NIE?

¶ 07 At a Ministry meeting on 21 September last year with all education professionals, books were requested but not shared. Instead, an ADB agreement for USD 400 million was noted—USD 200 million already received by the previous government, and another USD 200 million sought—thus the rush to print modules without proper vetting. Fourteen modules contain over 150 errors—content, spelling, grammar—confirmed by experts. I table several modules and documents.

¶ 08 Some modules have only a cover page inside. Why were these printed outside the Educational Publications Department? Who authorized external printing? Investigate.

¶ 09 The history book has little of our nation’s history—nothing on Bali, Taru, Ravana, Gamunu, or Vijayabahu—but much on amoeba and dinosaurs. The Pelawatta Education Committee should explain; is Prof. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri on that committee?

¶ 10 I acknowledge that some modules are well written. However, 100 Zonal Education Offices trained 5,700 teachers for 300 hours while hiding the modules, banning photos and videos. Why hide them? Where was the pilot? Why was the Kalutara pilot cancelled? Only three modules are for term one, yet links promoting homosexuality are embedded; nothing is revealed for terms two and three. Are you going to teach children to buy certain paid content next term?

¶ 11 I also thank Ven. Ulapane Sumangala Thero for exposing this and averting disaster. Finally, these efforts violate Articles 13, 14, 18 and 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which we signed in 1990 and have implemented since 1991.