The Hon. (Ms.) Harini Amarasuriya

¶ 01 (i) From the beginning of 2026, the Department of Examinations will be able to restore examination schedules to normal.

¶ 02 (ii) Although school years from 2020 to 2024 extended beyond calendar years due to COVID-19 and subsequent crises, for the 2025 school year, sufficient time (181 days) has been allocated to cover syllabi, with completion planned for December 2025. Thereafter, the following year’s school calendar can return to normal. Further details are placed as Annex 01. Annex 01 is placed in the Library.

¶ 03 (iii) Our primary objective is to ensure 13 years of uninterrupted education for every child without deprivation or discrimination. The reform thrusts are human resource development, structural changes to the system, and curriculum reforms to reorient schools to a new development trajectory. Key elements include: - Preparing and training teachers and principals; prioritizing capacity development required to implement reforms. - Upgrading school infrastructure to support structural change. - Broadening educational pathways to align with global openness and integrating new curricula, with special attention to primary education and coordinated action by the Ministry, National Education Commission and National Institute of Education. - A new national education policy is expected to be unveiled in 2026. - From 2025, foundational steps will commence for structured recruitment, training, capacity development and professional support of principals and teachers. - Institutional reforms include proper classification of institutions and phased structural changes beginning in 2025. - Foundational work on curriculum reforms will also be undertaken in 2025, with phased implementation from 2026. - Higher education opportunities, particularly in technology, science and vocational fields, will be expanded and institutions strengthened.