The Hon. (Dr.) Elayathamby Srinath

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, thank you for the opportunity to speak on education reform.

¶ 02 A nation’s education system must adapt to contemporary realities. In Sri Lanka, for many years, reforms have lagged—due to economic crisis, the pandemic, and other reasons. Globally, nations compete; our education must align accordingly and help society meet challenges. Reforms should become a boon for our youth and society.

¶ 03 There are many bottlenecks in the current system. Students complete school and university yet struggle to secure employment; the system is not producing a strong workforce for economic development. The school system has become highly stressful and competitive—some youth driven to despair. Reforms should address this.

¶ 04 Before implementation, we must improve long-neglected infrastructure, especially in the North and East. National schools are well-resourced, but rural and hardship areas lack buildings and furniture. How will new reforms benefit students where even classrooms are unsafe or missing? Disparities exist in universities too. Tertiary education must match labour-market needs so graduates can find jobs here and abroad.

¶ 05 Many small schools have very few students; how will reforms reach them? How will we address teacher shortages there? Some schools boast smart classrooms, while war-affected Northern and Eastern schools lack basic rooms. We welcome reform, but ask for clear implementation plans across all regions. Also, histories relevant to different regions and periods are often omitted from subjects; Tamil history, traditions and equal representation must be meaningfully included.

¶ 06 Let us build a system that fosters equality across students, keeps society cohesive, and advances economic development. Even a good reform, if rolled out without sensitivity to regional constraints, can backfire. The Government must implement carefully and responsibly so benefits reach every child. Thank you.