The Hon. (Dr.) Hiniduma Sunil Senevi - Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs

¶ 01 Question No. 1551/2025: Arabic Colleges: Upgrading.

¶ 02 (a) (i) Yes. (ii) Yes. Registration categories: 1. Temporary Preliminary Arabic Schools (TPAS) – Code: MRCA/13/1/T/PAS/…. 2. Preliminary Arabic Schools (PAS) – Code: MRCA/13/1/PAS/…. 3. Arabic Colleges (AC) – Code: MRCA/13/1/AC/….

¶ 03 (b) (i) Most institutions are actually in the second grade, not the first. Current numbers: - Temporary Preliminary Arabic Schools: 61 - Preliminary Arabic Schools: 148 - Arabic Colleges: 112 - Total: 321

¶ 04 Upgrading from Temporary Preliminary to Preliminary is ongoing. Upgrading from Preliminary to Arabic College is currently not being done; Phase II to III upgrading has been temporarily suspended since 2019 pending curricular framework finalisation.

¶ 05 (ii) A common syllabus and corresponding framework for Arabic Colleges has been prepared and submitted to the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education for review. Once approved, upgrading can resume. The Ministry of Education has advanced several steps.

¶ 06 As per the Secretary, Ministry of Defence letter MOD/NID/CD/OUT/01 (Vol-05-428) dated 26.10.2025, and directions by H.E. the President at the National Security Council meeting on 13.10.2025 at the Presidential Secretariat, the Ministry of Education, together with the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, was instructed to: 1. Appoint a committee of eminent religious leaders representing all major religions to develop a mechanism to regulate religious instruction within each religion (not limited to Madrasas). 2. In consultation with Islamic religious leaders, and ensuring compliance with National Education Standards and supervision, develop an appropriate regulatory framework for private educational institutions including Madrasas.

¶ 07 Accordingly, we expect to resolve these issues soon, recognising the importance of institutions that produce religious scholars.