The Hon. Muneer Mulaffer - Deputy Minister of National Integration

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, thank you for the time to speak on the Heads of Expenditure of the Ministries of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education. Everyone recognizes the necessity of education, and all wish to access it. Yet, due to lack of infrastructure and welfare facilities, many capable and eager people have been deprived of education. As a National People’s Power Government, we have allocated a significant sum through these Heads, prioritizing student welfare and infrastructure.

¶ 02 I recall my own schooling in a rural school in Matara District near Hambantota. Even today that school remains the same: sanitation is poor. Boys can somehow manage, but girls suffer, often having to endure needs during school hours, risking health issues. Many other schools suffer similarly. Under student welfare, we have allocated Rs. 6,400 million solely for school uniforms.

¶ 03 Stakeholders across the aisle have offered constructive ideas. The Leader of the Opposition also clearly highlighted the have-have-not divide. Our Heads aim to reduce that gap and ensure equitable access. We have allocated Rs. 2,590 million for school buses. Recognizing parental hardship in purchasing supplies during the economic crisis, we have provided vouchers of Rs. 6,000 each to 878,866 students. For the specific issue faced by girls, last Budget allocated Rs. 1,000 million for sanitary pads; this Budget increases it to Rs. 1,440 million.

¶ 04 On the school nutrition programme, given the crisis and the suffering of hungry children we all saw, we have allocated Rs. 3,200 million this year.

¶ 05 It was said that the “Suraksha” student insurance was scrapped under President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. We can proudly say that this year’s Budget allocates Rs. 2,416 million for a student health insurance scheme. We thank the Hon. Prime Minister in charge of Education, Higher Education and TVET for this.

¶ 06 This Budget also allocates funds for Grade 5 scholarship recipients, and focuses on sports schools: for 2025, provinces — Western, Northern, Central, Uva and North Central — receive allocations for sports school development and nutrition. We have provided Rs. 50 million for an “Isura” scholarship scheme, Rs. 3.75 million for the “Sujatha Diyani” scholarship, and Rs. 10.5 million for the “Technological Stream” scholarship programme.

¶ 07 Regarding national schools, in the past many were declared for political reasons without assessing actual need. The “popular school” concept and politicians’ use of admissions for leverage is reprehensible.

¶ 08 I wish to thank the Chief Incumbent of Attanagalla Rajamaha Viharaya, Ven. Pannila Ananda Thero, in my electorate of Attanagalla, for standing for national harmony, including distributing school supplies worth Rs. 13.7 million to children in the North.

¶ 09 We have allocated funds to complete unfinished buildings. For example, the “Al-Ulak” Central College building in Nihariya area, whose foundation was laid in 2012, remains incomplete. We will move beyond politics to complete such buildings so education — a right for all — is supported by necessary welfare and infrastructure. Thank you.