The Hon. (Dr.) Namal Sudarshana

¶ 01 Thank you for the question, Hon. Member. Sri Lanka did not previously have a national policy specifically on preschool education. While a National Policy on Early Childhood Development was issued in 2008, there wasn’t a standalone preschool education policy. Now, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, and the National Institute of Education have worked together, and the National Preschool Policy is in its final stage. It sets out strategies under which preschool education will be developed, with the first strategy being “Equitable access to preschool education” for all children regardless of social or economic status, or disability. We are proceeding accordingly. Additionally, we have prepared a Five-Year Action Plan (2026–2030) on ECD, with the Ministries of Women and Child Affairs, Education, and Health collaborating to ensure equal access to ECD for all children.