The Hon. (Mrs.) Samanmali Gunasinghe

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, our present Government has the opportunity to bring meaningful education reforms. Hon. Prime Minister, as Education Minister, has shown great commitment, convening a panel of scholars comprising educationists and professionals to revise curricula and implement reforms, making immense collective effort and sacrifice. As a result, in 2026 we all will witness tangible changes.

¶ 02 This is only a beginning. Some Members said we speak of a White Paper or even an “empty paper.” But the public deleted your White Paper; the people rejected it. You will see that we have brought reforms centred on the child, the productive economy of our country, and our national heritage — all integrated with contemporary technology for both today’s needs and global relevance. We invite everyone to bring proposals to nourish this vision. I stress this is inclusive of children with special needs and disabilities. Our aim is to make every child’s education successful and ensure equal opportunity.

¶ 03 Why did past reforms fail to take root and face rejection? There was a problem in their vision: the State distanced itself from its national duty in education — cutting funds, unnecessary interference, and allowing various management entities to intervene in schools with different agendas. Some were preparing to parcel out schools to private business: “We will give you a school; select a thousand and distribute.” There was no national plan, no national policy.

¶ 04 Our policy is that every child should spend 13 years in school. We do not need children who only memorize for exams and conform to syllabi; we need children who master life, who can win at life and contribute their abilities to the country through the right programmes — a modern education. That is why those white papers were rejected. If Opposition Members now reconsider, that is good.

¶ 05 There was a question: will schools with fewer than 50 children be closed? No. That was made clear. Not all such schools will be closed. They must be managed, developed in quality, and consolidated where appropriate. We cannot close schools at the whim of anyone, including local politicians. Decisions require serious study, data analysis and evaluation. We know some schools have fallen under certain politicians’ control. For example, in Dehiwala, the Pinchchaththa Upananda Vidyalaya was closed. It was later turned into a puppetry centre. Today, who owns that state property? Shockingly, a politician — Sarath Abeygunawardena, the brother of Rohitha Abeygunawardena. The Government is now in court. During past times, we could not preserve such assets for quality use; they were appropriated. We need the data: can we not convert such places into vocational training centres? Through these reforms, that is what we seek. No one wants to close schools, but we certainly do not want politicians and others to enjoy state assets. We must use all such institutions for national development and our educational goals.

¶ 06 You will remember in “A Prosperous Country - A Beautiful Life” we showed what we intend to do: a child-friendly educational environment aligned with international standards, nourishing knowledge for life skills. I too have school-going children. Mothers say: “My child studies from morning till night; in the end they ask, all this memorizing — what use is it? I memorize and write exams, but what do I gain for my future? Do I get vocational training or anything practical for life?” Children are tired of memorization and exams; syllabi have become burdensome. That is what we have seen.

¶ 07 Therefore, beyond trapping children in rote learning, we need education integrated with vocational training, where children can live and enjoy learning. We did not craft syllabi in isolation. Recently, our Tourism Ministry implemented a fine initiative called “Travel Club” with schoolchildren. Selected schools were introduced to a new subject: how to build for the tourism industry at Grades 8, 9 and 10. We teach a foreign language, photography, and AI technology within that. That is the knowledge that fits today. Our reforms also include compatible syllabi: culture and national heritage. These should not be just in books; history and heritage must be taught in ways children can feel and love. With technology and cameras, children can learn to integrate our cultural heritage into national production in ways relevant to the world. These reforms are connected to the people and to the economy. We are ready to develop them with public input and diverse views. I conclude. Thank you for the time.