The Hon. Ajith P. Perera

¶ 01 Mr. Presiding Member, first I wish to pay tribute to the late Hon. Nandana Gunathilaka of Kalutara—once a JVP student activist who sacrificed his academic path for struggle, later JVP General Secretary, 1999 presidential candidate with 344,000 votes, then evolving politically and working with us in 2014–2015 to elect Maithripala Sirisena, and twice Chairman of Panadura UC. He was upright and incorruptible. On behalf of Samagi Jana Balawegaya and personally, I express sorrow and wish him Nibbana.

¶ 02 On education reforms: SJB supports reform. When first presented, we publicly offered support and later asked for a detailed White Paper. The Government side mocked the very concept; even last night it was clear they don’t grasp its importance for inclusive consultation.

¶ 03 The Government has handled this as a mere syllabus change in Grades 1 and 6, without institutional, assessment, and teacher-training reforms. On 13 January, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake paused Grade 6 reforms, citing module preparation faults, teacher-training delays, and technical issues. Are these the Opposition’s responsibility? No—they are the Government’s and the Education Minister’s.

¶ 04 Some claim it was stopped due to “coconut-smashing” protests. If you paused because of that, it’s shameful. The truth is you failed to prepare syllabi, print books on time, train teachers, and procure devices. Own it, fix it quickly, and implement reforms properly—our children and parents deserve certainty. Thank you.