The Hon. (Dr.) Janaka Senarathna

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, I am pleased to speak as a Supplementary Estimate relating to education is presented.

¶ 02 Education is the greatest investment a country can make for its future—transferring knowledge, skills, and attitudes from prior generations, and cultivating new knowledge, attitudes, concepts, and systems for human progress. Our President, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has repeatedly highlighted the links between education and crime, poverty, drug addiction, conflicts, and accidents. Therefore, placing significant emphasis on education is a core duty of a responsible Government.

¶ 03 Decades ago, education was a privilege restricted to certain groups. We believe education is not a privilege but a right. C.W.W. Kannangara, as Education Minister of then Ceylon from 1931, established Education Committees in 1938 and 1944, introducing free education, affirming the right of every child aged 5 to 16 to free education, along with components such as promotion of education and mid-day meals.

¶ 04 Yet, 80 years since 1944, our current status is concerning. Internationally, countries allocate 4–6 percent of GDP to education; Sri Lanka now allocates about 1.8 percent, ranking below 150 globally, and the share has declined since 2018. Amid economic crisis and underfunding, school attendance has fallen.

¶ 05 As a signatory to the CRC, we are bound to protect children’s basic rights, including the right to development and education. According to UNICEF 2023, around 2.3 million Sri Lankan children require food assistance; Sri Lanka is among countries with high malnutrition.

¶ 06 Today’s Supplementary Estimate to provide about Rs. 6,000 per child for school supplies for low-income families is timely. As someone who benefited from free education and also experienced its challenges—having served 14 years as a medical doctor across four provinces—I welcome this debate on MPs’ educational qualifications as part of a new political culture. However, history shows many leaders with limited formal qualifications have served effectively—e.g., Kamaraj in Tamil Nadu, akin to Kannangara, made immense contributions to education.

¶ 07 Given the current debate, I wish to table my own qualifications: GCE Ordinary Level and Advanced Level results; University of Sri Jayewardenepura MBBS (2008) degree certificate; internship completion certificate; and full registration with the Sri Lanka Medical Council under Section 29 of the Medical Ordinance (Reg. No. 26543, dated 21 Dec 2010). Certified copies are placed in the Library.

¶ 08 To our friend in the Opposition, Hon. Dr. Kavinda Jayawardana: if you are registered as a medical practitioner under Section 29 of the Medical Ordinance, please present proof within a month. Your Facebook, LinkedIn, website, and the Parliament website all style you as “Dr.” Under Section 38 of the Medical Ordinance, one not registered cannot use a title creating the impression of being a medical practitioner. If any Opposition MP is present, kindly convey this to him. I publicly challenge him to submit within a month the educational qualifications confirming he is a doctor.

¶ 09 Thank you.

¶ 10 Hon. Bimal Rathnayake, Leader of the House, your concern regarding the Opposition Member will be informed to the Hon. Speaker.

¶ 11 Next, the Hon. Rohitha Abegunawardhana. You have six minutes.