Topic
Education
1,409 speeches · 257 speakers
Party share
By the speaker's party · counts only, no scoring. "Unattributed" = speeches not resolved to an MP.
Most active on this topic
| # | Member | Speeches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hon. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, M.P. JJB | 213 |
| 2 | Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna, M.P. JJB | 99 |
| 3 | Hon. Sajith Premadasa, M.P. SJB | 51 |
| 4 | Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa, M.P. JJB | 29 |
| 5 | Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna, M.P. SJB | 25 |
| 6 | Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, M.P. NDF | 25 |
| 7 | Hon. Nalin Hewage, M.P. JJB | 21 |
| 8 | Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake, M.P. NDF | 18 |
| 9 | Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney at Law, M.P. SJB | 17 |
| 10 | Hon. Gayantha Karunathilleka, M.P. SJB | 17 |
Speeches
1,409 on this topic- 20 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya - Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya answered Question No. 1300/2025 by listing the members appointed by the Ministry of Education to examine the proposed Education Council, including academics, education administrators, teachers’ service representatives, and a legal draftsman. She stated that the committee has submitted a report with recommendations on establishing the Council and improving education services, and that it has been referred to the Ministry’s Advisory Committee for discussion and further action. Oral Question No. 1300/2025: Committee to Look into Proposed Education Council Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe – Minister AI summary The Minister said the Government is attentive to concerns raised by the Leader of the Opposition about the impact of technological change and AI on employment. He noted that while conventional jobs are changing, new jobs are emerging, and emphasized the need to reform education and the economy to prepare for future labour market needs. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. Sajith Premadasa – Leader of the Opposition AI summary The Leader of the Opposition requested that the Minister assess the likely scale of job displacement resulting from technological advancement, online work, and artificial intelligence. He argued that such an assessment is necessary to reorient education from pre-school to tertiary level toward future labour market needs and the creation of new forms of employment as traditional jobs come under threat. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya - Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education JJB AI summary The Prime Minister, as Minister of Education, said the Ministry has no official records confirming the establishment of the Reggie Ranatunga Educational Scholarship Fund under Act No. 28 of 2000 or the donation of land in Pansilgoda, Minuwangoda. She stated that the land had been given to the Sri Lanka Vocational Training Authority under a 2007 agreement to operate a training centre, but the centre was vacated in 2021 due to subsidence risk and handed back to the Fund for repairs. She added that the Ministry and SLVTA have had no ownership or connection to the land or building since 2021, so no response could be given on transferring it for public purposes. Oral Question: Land Donated to Reggie Ranatunga Educational Scholarship Fund (Q.5/2025) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. Ruwanthilaka Jayakody JJB AI summary Ruwanthilaka Jayakody asked the Prime Minister and Minister of Education whether she was aware of the history and current status of land donated in 2003 to the Reggie Ranatunga Educational Scholarship Fund, including the establishment and closure of a vocational training institute and alleged attempts in 2023 to take the land into private possession. He requested information on what steps could be taken to transfer the land to a suitable government institution for public use. Oral Question: Land Donated to Reggie Ranatunga Educational Scholarship Fund (Q.5/2025) Read →
- 18 November 2025 The Hon. Mujibur Rahuman SJB AI summary Mujibur Rahuman briefly referred to a person’s prior involvement in inter-university activities or an inter-university body. The remark appears to be contextual rather than a substantive policy argument or proposal. Committee Stage Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Defence and Public Security Expenditure Heads Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Chathura Galappaththi SJB AI summary Chathura Galappaththi called for a consistent, non-partisan foreign policy supported by a permanent think-tank of local and international experts, and requested that the Government publish details of the reported 70 agreements and 150 investor discussions arising from recent high-level foreign visits. He questioned whether some diaspora engagements had served national interests and urged future visits to deliver clearer benefits. He also proposed expanding vocational education pathways from Grade 9 to address low-skilled migration, unemployment, and related social issues. Referring to tourism in Matara, he suggested reviewing restrictions on late-night entertainment in designated areas with sound controls, while balancing community protections. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya - Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education JJB AI summary The Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education presented the National Institute of Business Management Annual Report for 2023. She moved that the report be referred to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education, Manpower and Human Capital, and the motion was agreed to. Opening - Parliament Sitting Read →
- 14 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Namal Sudarshana - Deputy Minister of Women and Child Affairs JJB AI summary Deputy Minister Namal Sudarshana supported the Budget, stating that economic stabilization had enabled programmes such as Clean Sri Lanka and digitalization to target rural development and poverty reduction. He rejected claims that preschool education was neglected, citing increased teacher and meal allowances and a new National Policy on Preschool Education to standardize curricula, teacher qualifications, governance, and regulation across provinces. He also outlined support for institutionalized children, including monthly assistance, improvements to care institutions, and a Rs. 2,000 million allocation to provide up to Rs. 2 million each for eligible youth leaving care to obtain land or housing. Debate: Second Reading of Appropriation Bill 2026 – Sixth Allotted Day Read →
- 14 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Nandana Millagala JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Nandana Millagala defended the 2026 Budget, stating that the NPP’s policy promised a Rs. 200 State-funded attendance incentive for Malaiyagam Tamil workers, not a Rs. 2,100 wage increase, and said this is being implemented. He argued that the Government had stabilized public finance, acted against corruption, narcotics and organized crime, and restored institutional independence since the 2025 Budget. He highlighted the Rs. 704 billion allocation for education, including support for estate schools in Kegalle District, and said the 2026 Budget builds on the foundation laid in 2025 toward the Government’s policy goals. Debate: Second Reading of Appropriation Bill 2026 – Sixth Allotted Day Read →
- 14 November 2025 The Hon. S.M. Marikkar SJB AI summary Hon. S.M. Marikkar said his party supported the Rs. 200 allowance for estate workers and broader redress for Tamil communities, but criticised the Budget as a liberal programme that relies on asset sales, higher taxes, utility charges and reduced expenditure. He argued that the Government was narrowing the deficit by overtaxing the public while failing to implement allocated development projects, citing unspent highway funds and stalled infrastructure work. He also questioned increased borrowing and debt levels, and accused the Government of abandoning promises on education spending, VAT relief, fuel and electricity price reductions, youth loans and tax thresholds. He further cited losses in several State-owned enterprises as evidence of mismanagement and said the Budget offered inadequate relief to households, pensioners, patients and schoolchildren. Debate: Second Reading of Appropriation Bill 2026 – Sixth Allotted Day Read →
- 13 November 2025 The Hon. Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan ITAK AI summary Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan argued that the 2026 Budget contains some welcome allocations for the North and East, including university hostels, irrigation modernization, housing, airports, rural development, and sports, but said many are inadequate or lack targeted implementation. He called for higher capital spending in education, locally aligned TVET programmes, restoration of war-affected village tanks, dedicated housing for displaced families and release of military-held lands. He also urged funding for Northern and Eastern tourism infrastructure, use of existing grassroots bodies for rural development, upgrades to the A-9, Trincomalee Port and Eastern rail links, and larger allocations for regional sports facilities. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Second Reading (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 13 November 2025 The Hon. Nalin Hewage - Deputy Minister of Vocational Education JJB AI summary Deputy Minister Nalin Hewage defended the NPP Government’s 2026 Budget, arguing that it is viewed favourably by the public compared with past administrations and Opposition criticisms. He blamed earlier governments for slower growth and increased sovereign bond debt, and said the Government supports a responsible role for the State in economic management. He rejected claims of under-spending, citing high district fund utilization in Galle, and highlighted increased capital expenditure, public sector salary and pension measures, recruitment, administrative capacity-building, and the doubling of the Mahapola stipend to Rs. 10,000. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Second Reading (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 13 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Hiniduma Sunil Senevi - Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs JJB AI summary The Minister supported the Second Reading of the 2026 Budget, arguing that the Government had moved the country out of a “lost decade” through fiscal stabilization, improved revenue collection, legal reforms and attention to inherited liabilities such as incomplete infrastructure contracts. He highlighted allocations for persons with disabilities under Aswesuma and for accessibility improvements in public institutions, as well as spending on education, Mahapola and bursaries, professorial units, medical facilities, the Ratnapura railway line and Rs. 21 billion for research and development. He also responded to criticisms on Hindu affairs by citing initiatives including the National Thaipongal festival in Jaffna, gazetting the Sabarimala Ayyappan pilgrimage, kovil and religious education funding, and the allocation for a National “Sri Lankan Day” festival. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Second Reading (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 13 November 2025 The Hon. R.M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara SJB AI summary R.M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara criticised the Government’s Budget, arguing that it lacked meaningful allocations for key sectors and that the JVP–NPP had now adopted economic, foreign, and education policies it had historically opposed, including engagement with the IMF. He alleged that taxes, VAT, utility charges, and fuel prices remained burdensome despite prior promises to reduce them, while public spending was low and poverty had increased. He also challenged the President’s statement that public servants recruited after 2016 would not receive pensions, citing Public Administration Circular No. 21/2017 and appointment letters stating such posts were pensionable. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Second Reading (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 13 November 2025 Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna - Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna rejected claims that the Norwood Divisional Secretariat would be moved to Hatton, stating that government policy is to bring services closer to villages. He argued that the 2026 Budget builds on 2025 stabilization measures after the economic crisis, citing fiscal discipline, anti-corruption efforts, inflation control, improved revenue, debt restructuring, reserve growth, tourism recovery, welfare support, and reduced VAT. He outlined a forward agenda based on inclusive growth, export diversification, debt sustainability, a production economy, rural poverty eradication, and digitalization, with support for SMEs, youth and women entrepreneurs, expanded education assistance, international university links, and a Rs. 21 billion allocation for research and development. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Second Reading (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 13 November 2025 Hon. (Dr.) Rizvie Salih - Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Rizvie Salih supported the Second Reading of the 2026 Appropriation Bill, describing it as a continuation of fiscal stabilization aimed at directing resources to education, health, infrastructure, employment, and social welfare. He highlighted provisions including public sector salary and pension increases, recruitment for essential services through examinations, a daily wage increase for estate workers, school stationery support, university and Mahapola funding, and health investments such as a new National Cardiac Unit and assistance for Thalassemic patients. He also urged mandatory genetic screening with counselling for susceptible populations, while emphasizing implementation discipline, anti-drug rehabilitation and prevention measures, and inclusive growth through SMEs, digital infrastructure, and agricultural modernization. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Second Reading (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 13 November 2025 The Hon. Gayantha Karunathilleka SJB AI summary Gayantha Karunathilleka opened the Opposition’s debate on the Second Reading of the Budget, arguing that the Government’s second Budget repeats unimplemented proposals from the previous year and reflects poor delivery, citing low capital spending and limited progress on several 2025 proposals. He questioned allocations and priorities, including funding for digitization versus vehicle imports, and asked why pledges on teacher salary anomalies, VAT removal on schoolbooks, women’s programmes, and education spending had not been addressed. He also criticized the absence of increased support for war-hero dependants and said sectors such as small tea growers, poultry farmers, and rubber growers had been neglected. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Second Reading (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 12 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Janaka Senarathna JJB AI summary Dr. Janaka Senarathna defended the 2026 Budget, stating that half of the Rs. 8,980 billion expenditure is required for debt servicing due to past borrowing, leaving limited space for capital spending. He highlighted allocations for health, education, public service salaries, hospital development, medical supplies, Suvaseriya, nutrition, primary healthcare, and specific projects including upgrades at Ratnapura Hospital and the National Cardiac Unit. He supported the proposed National Pay Commission to address public service salary disparities and noted plans to complete abandoned public construction projects through public-private partnerships. He also cited allocations for dairy, fisheries, Thriposha, antimicrobial resistance monitoring, youth from probationary homes, roads, and the Ruwanpura Expressway. Appropriation Bill, 2026 - Second Reading Debate Read →
- 12 November 2025 The Hon. Aravinda Senarath JJB AI summary Hon. Aravinda Senarath defended the NPP Government’s 2025 record, arguing that since appropriations began only in May, it had used the first months to rebuild public finances while expanding targeted welfare. He listed increases to Aswesuma, CKD, elderly, education, nutrition, scholarship, Mahapola, preschool, vocational, and housing benefits, as well as measures such as banning child labour from 1 July and adding 150 ambulances to Suwaseriya. He also highlighted housing grant increases, title regularization, continued foreign-assisted housing, and a higher fertilizer subsidy, while criticizing previous housing projects built in unsuitable locations such as elephant corridors. Appropriation Bill, 2026 - Second Reading Debate Read →