The Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna
Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna acknowledged the decline in Grade 1 admissions, attributing it partly to falling birth rates and broader demographic change. He said the issue had been discussed repeatedly and that authorities were studying other social factors while working to make schools more attractive to children rather than relying on compulsion.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Hon. Member, yes, there is a problem. Grade 1 admissions are declining. We have discussed this repeatedly. One key reason is demographic change—birth rates have clearly fallen, leading to lower school entry. We are also working on social factors and on making schools more attractive to children. We are studying the causes. While birth rates have declined significantly, we are also addressing other drivers. We cannot force children to school; we must attract them.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Friday, 14 March 2025 ·No. 1744281136023320 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 14 March 2025. No. 1744281136023320. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/26408