The Hon. Ruwan Wijeweera

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, as someone who served over 15 years as a teacher and principal in difficult and central schools, I welcome this debate on far-reaching reforms expected to commence in 2026. Education is a cultural process that transmits existing knowledge and produces new knowledge; a quality education process underpins a responsible citizenry and development.

¶ 02 Sri Lanka must have a truly equitable education system suited to the future world. Decades without comprehensive reform have denied children access to a relevant curriculum and the nation the human capital it needs. Therefore, drawing on contributions from all stakeholders, we propose to implement comprehensive reforms from 2026.

¶ 03 As John Dewey said, “Education is the fundamental method of social progress and reform.” Our education and society face multiple crises. We in the National People’s Power (NPP) believe education must become the strongest instrument for social transformation. Since 2019, the National Institute of Education, the Ministry and the National Education Commission laid the groundwork for reform. After assuming office, aligning with our policy, we prepared to launch reforms in 2026.

¶ 04 Why reform? The current curriculum is widely criticized for failing to produce globally competent 21st-century citizens with creativity, collaboration and critical thinking. There is a mismatch between education outputs and labour market needs, reflected in high unemployment—especially youth unemployment around 20% for ages 15–24—due to a significant gap between schooling and work. Teaching remains traditional, teacher-centred, with 40–50 students per class.

¶ 05 Our reform aim is: “To lay the foundation to creating a citizen ready for the challenges of and beyond the 21st Century and to contribute to sustainable national development and peace.” We must also restore equitable access and reduce stark disparities in human and physical resources among schools.

¶ 06 Built on five pillars, especially Human Resource Development and Infrastructure plus Education Administration Reforms, we will develop both human and physical resources to deliver quality education. Strategic changes include restructuring school organization; adding two years for early childhood development to lay the foundation for lifelong learning; and a primary curriculum organized around nine integrated, activity-based areas to prepare for the next stages.

¶ 07 [Time limit indicated.]

¶ 08 In conclusion, we invite all to contribute positively to this comprehensive programme for social transformation and to help create students equipped with the skills to succeed tomorrow.

¶ 09 Thank you.