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- 24 July 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya - Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya said the education reforms are part of a long national reform discourse and stressed that the priority is implementation, citing teacher misallocation, 20,755 student dropouts in 2024, and 80,591 irregular attendees. She outlined preparations for curriculum, teacher development, digital readiness, infrastructure, examinations, and public awareness, with Grades 1 and 6 to begin under the reforms in 2026 and a national assessment framework being developed. She rejected claims that a finalized White Paper was being withheld or that NIE modules were arbitrarily altered, stating that the Ministry, NIE, Department of Examinations, advisory bodies, provinces, and parliamentary committees would continue to work together with opportunities for further debate and consultation. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB AI summary Rauff Hakeem supported the need for education reform and welcomed key academic appointments, but called for clarity on reported changes to History, Aesthetics, and a proposed Religion and Ethics curriculum allegedly affected by outside pressure. He asked the Government to publish a White Paper, acknowledge prior work by former officials and contributors, and ensure module reviews are handled by independent experts rather than the original authors or non-specialist ministry officials. He also raised constituency and infrastructure concerns, including stalled school facilities in Nawalapitiya and landslide-affected school buildings in several provinces, requesting funding through climate-resilient infrastructure programmes. On higher education, he urged reconsideration of objections to private medical education, citing foreign exchange outflows and international practice, and proposed positioning Sri Lanka as a higher education destination. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. Nalin Hewage - Deputy Minister of Vocational Education JJB AI summary Nalin Hewage supported the proposed education reforms as a means of strengthening Sri Lanka’s human capital, arguing that the country must compensate for limited physical resources by developing integrated, skilled citizens through education combining science, technology, humanities and arts. He highlighted that only about 40,000 of 300,000 annual Grade 1 entrants reach university, and said vocational education should be brought into schools, modernized, and made attractive to create dignified employment and increase skilled remittances. He also called for the Ocean University, under his Ministry, to be strengthened so that Sri Lanka can develop expertise to use marine resources for national development. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. M.S. Abthul Wazeeth SLMC AI summary M.S. Abthul Wazeeth urged the establishment of a separate zonal education office for Pothuvil, arguing that the current allocation of Muslim, Tamil and Sinhala schools to different zones amounts to ethnic segregation and undermines unity. He requested appointments for trained preschool teachers, long-pending appointments for Maulavis, and faster action on proposed South Eastern University tourism and Open University branches in Pothuvil. He also called for urgent measures against coastal erosion in Hidayapuram and for consultation with coastal small traders in Maruthamunai before the Coast Conservation Department removes temporary business structures. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva JJB AI summary Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva stated that education reforms should ensure inclusive education for children with disabilities by providing appropriate supports such as Braille, physical access, sign language, and early identification with tailored learning for children with intellectual disabilities. He said the Ministry of Education has incorporated these measures into the reform agenda to ensure equal access to classrooms, assessments, and extracurricular activities. He emphasized that the reforms should cover special, non-formal, and inclusive education, with adequate commitment and funding, enabling persons with disabilities to become skilled and dignified contributors to national development. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. Ruwan Mapalagama JJB AI summary Hon. Ruwan Mapalagama supported the government’s education reforms, describing them as a major shift that will be phased in from 2026 for Grades 1 and 6 and later for Grade 10 students. He said the reforms would move beyond exam-centred education, introduce a Grade 9 National Competency Assessment, guarantee education up to Grade 13, and ensure students complete schooling with at least NVQ Level 4 pathways. He highlighted new curriculum areas, inclusive and non-formal education, and clarified that History would remain compulsory up to Grade 11, rejecting claims that it was being removed. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. Gnanamuththu Srineshan ITAK AI summary Gnanamuththu Srineshan supported education reform but urged that it address past shortcomings by promoting sustainable development, national unity, moral values, employability, and stronger technical, scientific and mathematical education. He called for equitable teacher allocation, especially for difficult schools in Batticaloa’s Paduvankarai areas, and emphasized shortages in mathematics, science, IT and vocational subjects that limit students’ subject choices. He also proposed stronger qualifications and training for preschool teachers, reconsideration of the Grade 5 scholarship exam, prompt recruitment of B.Ed. graduates without additional diploma requirements, and swift release of O/L re-correction results. He stressed that reforms should be practical and ensure students leave school with vocational skills as well as certificates. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. Mayilvaganam Jegatheeswaran JJB AI summary Hon. Mayilvaganam Jegatheeswaran supported the Government’s proposed education reforms, including vocational education from Grade 9, module-based assessments with credits, and changes to the school timetable to reduce pressure on students. He argued that the reforms would address inequalities in teacher availability, facilities, subject choices, and rural access, particularly in areas such as Vanni where students and teachers face long travel distances. He said the changes aim to improve career pathways, educational equity, and preparation for 21st-century national development. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) M.L.A.M. Hizbullah SLMC AI summary Commending the Education Minister’s planned education reforms for implementation by January 2026, Hon. Hizbullah urged cross-party support and adequate facilities for schools. He highlighted the prevalence of small schools with fewer than 200 students and called for urgent action to fill principal vacancies, particularly in the Eastern Province, including implementing allowances to attract qualified administrators. He also requested that university curricula and teaching methods, including outdated IT degree syllabuses, be modernized alongside school reforms. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. M.L.A.M. Hizbullah SLMC AI summary Hon. M.L.A.M. Hizbullah noted that education reform in Sri Lanka has been under discussion for many years and said the current reform process follows nearly six years of continuous work by educationists, experts, scholars, and former Education Ministers. He framed the debate as the outcome of sustained consultation and preparation on national education policy. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House of Parliament JJB AI summary Minister Bimal Rathnayake said education reform should be treated as a long-term national project shaping Sri Lanka’s society and workforce by 2050, and therefore must proceed through broad consultation rather than as a finalized proposal imposed on Parliament. He argued that a White Paper or framework should be debated widely, including beyond Parliament, because issues such as school structures, cultural and religious education, and subject combinations affect all communities and families. He proposed that all children learn the core values of the main religions to promote mutual respect, and cited the need for flexible subject combinations such as Combined Mathematics with Biology to meet modern industry requirements. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. Ismail Muththu Mohamed AI summary Hon. Ismail Muththu Mohamed supported the debate on new education reforms while stressing that equal access to education requires fair distribution of teachers, facilities and infrastructure, particularly in the Northern Province. He said the war and continuing resource disparities had weakened Northern schools, with some lacking computers, teacher accommodation and effective transfer arrangements, while local teacher graduates are posted elsewhere. He requested the Education Minister to restart and complete six stalled school development projects in Vavuniya and Mannar, noting that unfinished foundation excavations pose risks to students and that public funds had already been allocated. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. Aboobucker Athambawa JJB AI summary Hon. Aboobucker Athambawa supported the proposed education reforms, arguing that they are needed to reduce students’ physical and academic burden, improve classroom learning, and better prepare students for national and global opportunities. He said implementation would begin in 2026 with Grades 1 and 6, based on five pillars: curriculum development, human resource development, infrastructure and administration reform, assessment and evaluation, and public awareness. He emphasized improving science, technology, civics, equity, English language skills, communication among school communities, and transparency, and called for broad support for the reforms. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. M.A.M. Thahir ACMC AI summary Hon. M.A.M. Thahir supported education reform while cautioning that it should not focus only on credentials, but should produce disciplined, culturally grounded students with proficiency in all three languages. He argued that curricula should be better aligned with local and overseas job-market needs. He also called for reforms affecting teachers, including merit-based recruitment, stronger training, better pay and improved working conditions to enhance teaching quality and student outcomes. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Samanmali Gunasinghe JJB AI summary Hon. (Mrs.) Samanmali Gunasinghe said the Government’s education reforms, led by the Prime Minister as Education Minister, are intended to begin tangible changes in 2026 through child-centred curricula linked to national development, heritage, technology, inclusion, and equal opportunity. She argued that past reforms failed because the State withdrew from its responsibility, reduced funding, allowed politicized or private interference in schools, and lacked a national policy. She clarified that schools with fewer than 50 students would not be closed indiscriminately, but assessed using data and, where appropriate, improved, consolidated, or repurposed for educational and vocational use, while preventing misuse of State assets by politicians. She also called for moving beyond rote learning toward practical, life-skills-based and vocationally linked education, citing initiatives such as school “Travel Clubs” connected to tourism education. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. Ramanathan Archchuna Independent Group 17 - Jaffna AI summary Ramanathan Archchuna invoked Black July and alleged continuing marginalisation of Tamil people, including through language access in Parliament and incomplete implementation of the 13th Amendment on devolution. He criticised government activity in Jaffna around the anniversary, argued that Provincial Councils were intended to manage areas such as education, agriculture and health, and said successive governments had failed to fully implement these powers. He also raised concerns about District Coordinating Committee procedures, citing a 2022 circular that limits National List MPs’ roles, and asked the Prime Minister to establish basic qualifications for ministerial and committee leadership appointments. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. Rajeevan Jeyachandramoorthy JJB AI summary Rajeevan Jeyachandramoorthy argued that education reform should go beyond curriculum changes to create a humane, values-based, multilingual system with improved infrastructure, trained human resources, employability pathways and reduced examination pressure. He highlighted low Grade 3 literacy and numeracy levels in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, calling for special attention to Tamil students and vocational training options for students unable to pass O/L examinations. He also raised concerns about language barriers in public services, inequitable school resources, and teacher transfer practices in the North and East, urging reforms to address staffing, district-level teacher cadres and basic facilities. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. J.C. Alawathuwala SJB AI summary Hon. J.C. Alawathuwala argued that if 13 years of schooling is to be compulsory, students should not be prevented from entering Grades 12 and 13 solely for failing O/L Mathematics or other subjects. He requested that the proposed education reforms, including revised subject streams, be implemented for about a year and then reviewed through the Sectoral Oversight Committee, given the absence of a pilot project and the need for wider public discussion. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. J.C. Alawathuwala SJB AI summary J.C. Alawathuwala supported education reform, arguing that Sri Lanka must adapt pedagogy and technology to global trends while building on past reforms from C.W.W. Kannangara and subsequent education ministers. He emphasized the need for equitable access to new technologies, better teacher training, and improved management of human resources to raise standards despite limited material resources. He cautioned that school consolidation must be studied carefully, especially for small rural primary schools, and linked unequal resource distribution to pressure around the Grade 5 Scholarship Exam. He called for increased education funding, noting that the proposed 6 per cent budget allocation had not been achieved, and urged a move away from an exam-centred system. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. Anura Karunathilaka - Minister of Urban Development, Construction and Housing JJB AI summary Minister Anura Karunathilaka urged members across Government and Opposition, regardless of language or religion, to support the proposed education reforms as a generational responsibility. He framed the reforms as necessary for positive social transformation and for securing a better future for children. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →