The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition

¶ 01 Mr. Presiding Member, regarding the Aswesuma payment scheme: Aswesuma is not, by itself, a poverty-eradication programme. To be so, it must be an integrated programme spanning production, investment, consumption, savings, and exports. I urge an integrated, multi-sectoral poverty eradication strategy.

¶ 02 On education reforms: did we oppose introducing reforms to Grade 1 or Grade 6? No. You initiated the process and uploaded Grade 6 English module materials on a government-linked website for students. That was your administration and your officials.

¶ 03 The reason Grade 6 was paused is the obscene website link included in the English module. The President himself clearly posted that due to content issues in module preparation, delays in teacher training, and technical issues, the Grade 6 reform start is deferred to 2027. It was the President’s decision—not ours. We never asked to stop reforms; we asked to implement them correctly. Minister, whether you find distributing such explicit content to our children acceptable is your personal matter; it cannot be state policy. The President’s own statement shows it isn’t.

¶ 04 The contaminated curriculum and books were printed and distributed at vast cost. Having erred, you now try to pin blame on the Opposition—absurd. Regarding the no-confidence debate: the Government cannot dictate dates under the Constitution. The Education Minister is in Davos and returns Friday; Min. Nalinda Jayatissa publicly proposed debate on Thursday and Friday. Don’t twist words. We have never plotted against the Minister.

¶ 05 You are proceeding with reforms by asking parents and schools to buy TVs and smart boards. Royal College parents are being asked to fund TV sets and smart boards. I tabled two letters from schools in the Kolonnawa electorate—Weeraba Model School, Kolonnawa, and Sri Khemananda Primary School, Panamure—where parents are asked to purchase TVs and smart boards. Meanwhile the President told trade unions the State will fund smart boards, TVs, and computers, not parents. Which is it?

¶ 06 We support genuine reform—English, Japanese, Hindi, Chinese, and STEAM education. You ridiculed these when we proposed them. You halted reforms because the module embedded an obscene link. Stop deploying troll farms to seed lies. We are pro-reform, anti-obscenity. I table the English module you defiled. Thank you.