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. Anura Karunathilaka - Minister of Urban Development, Construction and Housing JJB AI summary The Minister argued that the Government’s education reform agenda is based on a policy process developed through public consultation since 2018 and reflected in the NPP policy document “A Prosperous Country - A Beautiful Life,” rather than being an ad hoc proposal. He said the reforms aim to ensure 13 years of schooling by integrating structured vocational education into the school curriculum, noting high dropout rates before O/L and limited progression to university. He also highlighted the need to address disparities among schools, particularly in remote areas with shortages of teachers and limited capacity to provide quality education. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. Harini Amarasuriya - Prime Minister and Minister of Education JJB AI summary Recruitment of teachers has not been halted by a Cabinet decision; Cabinet has approved recruitment based on existing vacancies. However, three court cases have resulted in a stay on issuing teacher appointments, so recruitment cannot proceed until the legal process concludes. The Minister stated that the Government is also moving to fill many positions that had remained vacant for five years. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa raised the issue of around 250 education graduates from the Universities of Colombo and Peradeniya and the Open University who have not received teacher appointments for nearly two years. He noted that three cohorts remain unappointed despite having state university qualifications and teacher training amid teacher shortages, and asked why appointments are being delayed citing a Cabinet decision. He requested that the Government take steps to resolve the matter. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. Harsha de Silva SJB AI summary Hon. Harsha de Silva argued that education reform should update curricula to equip children with skills needed for a competitive global economy, including adaptability, technology proficiency, problem-solving, collaboration, leadership, creativity and emotional intelligence. He emphasized the importance of English-medium capacity as a bridge to global opportunities and to reduce disparities between rural and elite urban schools, while stating that Sinhala and Tamil should not be neglected. He supported advancing the proposed education reforms but called for broader dialogue and inclusion, and added that technology and AI learning should be balanced with appreciation of arts and music. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva SJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva expressed support for the Government’s proposed education reforms, noting that many elements build on earlier reform efforts, including proposals from 1981 and subsequent initiatives. He urged broad consultation across the five pillars of reform, careful preparation, and safeguards to avoid past failures caused by rushed implementation or politicization. He also emphasized the need to design the education framework for future labour-market demands, including changes driven by artificial intelligence. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. Mahinda Jayasinghe - Deputy Minister of Labour JJB AI summary Mahinda Jayasinghe defended the proposed education reforms as a preliminary parliamentary process, stating that history and aesthetics would remain part of learning and clarifying the proposed credit allocations for core subjects. He said the reforms aim to create parallel academic and vocational pathways up to higher education, supported by five pillars including curriculum, teacher development, infrastructure, administration and assessment. He outlined plans for an Education Council to set professional standards, registration and licensing for educators across government, private, international and tuition sectors, while saying implementation would follow a defined timeline rather than immediate compulsory licensing. He also said early childhood centres would receive Ministry guidelines and that a concept paper on the reforms would be presented. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna SJB AI summary Hon. Rohini Kumari Wijerathna supported proceeding with education reforms but argued they must be based on expert consultation, national consensus, and a formal policy document such as a White Paper, rather than a party manifesto. She said the current proposals appear focused mainly on curriculum reform and lack detail on other pillars such as assessment, human resources, infrastructure, administration and communication. She urged the Government to use previous reform work and remaining ADB funds, publish the relevant documents, update syllabi regularly, reduce examination pressure, and incorporate 21st-century competencies including literacy, critical thinking, collaboration, ethics, citizenship and self-directed learning. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. Ravindra Bandara AI summary Ravindra Bandara stated that the Government’s education policy includes introducing vocational subjects and onward learning pathways for O/L students. He said students would be able to choose fields such as construction and infrastructure, creative industries, primary industries, and manufacturing and technology, arguing that these reforms are necessary to build skills for national development. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. Ravindra Bandara AI summary Hon. Ravindra Bandara supported the proposed education reforms, rejecting claims that history and aesthetics would be removed and stating they remain compulsory within the O/L framework. He argued that the reforms align with the Government’s policy to develop creative, skilled students through early childhood development, reduced exam pressure, a Grade 9 skills test, expanded vocational pathways, and new subjects such as aviation technology, sports, film studies, ICT, and data science. He said the current system fails many students before A/L and creates unhealthy competition, while noting that concerns over subject combinations remain open for discussion. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. Chanaka Madugoda SLPP AI summary Hon. Chanaka Madugoda urged the Government to implement education reforms with broad consultation, careful planning, and consensus, warning against a haphazard approach similar to what he described as failed or stalled initiatives such as Clean Sri Lanka and the animal census. He objected to making history and aesthetics elective rather than compulsory for Grades 10 and 11, called for more attention to early childhood preparation, safeguards against bias in modular teacher-led assessments, and reconsideration of extended school hours. He also raised a separate concern that the recruitment of 100 Sub Inspectors had been halted despite a relevant committee report reaching the Ministry, urging that selected youth not be denied lawful opportunities. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Saroja Savithri Paulraj - Minister of Women and Child Affairs JJB AI summary The Minister said the Government’s planned education reforms are intended as a systemic change rather than a syllabus revision, beginning with Grade 1 in 2026 and aimed at preparing students for work and society by around 2035. She said the reforms will shift education away from an exam- and marks-centred model toward concept-centred, activity-based learning, particularly in mathematics, science and languages. She outlined the national goals of education and said the reforms will focus on communication, personal development and environmental skill sets to support national unity, democratic values, adaptability and future employment needs. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. Madhura Senevirathna - Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education JJB AI summary Responding to concerns about estate-sector education, the Deputy Minister said infrastructure and human-resource distribution problems exist across districts, including in estate areas, but school development decisions are made using general criteria rather than a separate “estate schools” category. He noted transport difficulties and said the Ministry consults coordination committees, including Divisional Secretaries, when deciding which schools to develop. He also stated that assistant teachers serving estate communities were intended to be absorbed into the Teacher Service within five years, but this is currently delayed due to ongoing court proceedings. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. Jeevan Thondaman UNP AI summary Hon. Jeevan Thondaman argued that the “Ceylon Tea” brand should not depend on exploitation and called for greater state intervention to address long-standing inequities in the plantation sector. He supported proposed education reforms but said implementation must account for plantation communities’ limited access to quality education, teacher shortages, and historical disadvantages, including by considering alternative teacher recruitment and training models. He urged the Government to implement a previously approved Cabinet decision on estate medical offices and to address the lack of drugs, doctors, and services in 456 such facilities. He also requested revival of a World Bank/ADB-supported programme that provided morning meals and repairs for plantation crèches and daycare centres serving around 22,000 children. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. Jeevan Thondaman UNP AI summary Hon. Jeevan Thondaman welcomed proposed education reforms but argued that implementation must address the historic exclusion and continuing infrastructure deficits faced by Hill Country Tamil communities, particularly in estate schools. He called for equitable resourcing, stronger provincial delivery, and withdrawal of a National Youth Services Council Gazette limiting youth clubs to one per GN division, saying it would reduce estate community representation. He also argued that housing schemes and renovation of line rooms are insufficient without secure land tenure for estate residents, and asked the Government to ensure transparency so public investment in estates is not misattributed to Regional Plantation Companies. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) (Ms.) Kaushalya Ariyarathne JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) (Ms.) Kaushalya Ariyarathne framed the proposed education reforms as a historic effort to move beyond Sri Lanka’s colonial education legacy while continuing the principle of free education as a State responsibility and public right. She said the National People’s Power’s reform framework was developed through consultations since 2019 and is guided by principles including equal access, relevance to development and employability, social responsibility, sustainability, innovation, and lifelong learning. She urged that the reforms be viewed as a comprehensive structural transformation, not reduced to individual subject choices, and called for resource alignment, increased education funding beyond the current Rs. 619 billion allocation, and constructive input from the Opposition, civil society, parents, teachers, and educationists. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Elayathamby Srinath ITAK AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Elayathamby Srinath supported the proposed 2026 education reforms but urged that they be implemented equitably, noting past grievances such as standardization and unequal resource allocation affecting Tamil communities. He called for age-appropriate learning, reduced student stress, stronger vocational and employability skills, and balanced funding for national and provincial schools, including through a strengthened Provincial Council system. He also requested progress on devolution, Provincial Council elections, and the inclusion of Tamil historical narratives in the curriculum to promote mutual understanding and respect among communities. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms (continued) Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. Anura Kumara Dissanayake - President, Minister of Defence; Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development; and Minister of Digital Economy AI summary President Anura Kumara Dissanayake argued that education reform must be broad and aligned with Sri Lanka’s economic strategy of developing human capital, noting weak outcomes in migrant labour, poverty alleviation, and social problems linked to low education. He identified school dropouts, under-enrolled schools, misallocated teacher resources, excessive tuition pressure, and a narrow focus on medicine and engineering as key systemic problems. He proposed ensuring all children complete 13 years of schooling, investigating absences, reviewing small schools for closure, amalgamation, relocation or support, reallocating resources to well-equipped schools, restoring extracurricular childhood experiences, and professionalizing diverse vocational pathways through standards and certification. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms Read →
- 24 July 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna - Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education JJB AI summary Deputy Minister Madhura Senevirathna outlined the Government’s education reform framework, saying it is guided by free and equitable access, employability, social responsibility, sustainability, innovation and lifelong learning. He said reforms would be implemented through five pillars—assessment, teacher training, public awareness, curriculum, and infrastructure and administration—with Grade 6 changes commencing in 2026 and a review planned by 2028. He highlighted plans for accessible local schooling, activity-based and exam-free primary education, modular learning in Grades 6–9, new literacy and skills modules, and stronger integration of vocational education from Grade 9. He also said the Scholarship examination would be reconsidered in 2029 if equitable provision makes it unnecessary. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms Read →
- 24 July 2025 Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa criticised the education reform presentation for lacking detail on teacher welfare, workforce training, governance, equity, functional English, AI and emerging technologies, school nutrition, at-risk youth, and post-school pathways. He called for increased education spending, better coordination between central and provincial authorities, and a clear plan to train over 240,000 teachers for a modular credit-based system, drawing on international models. He urged that History remain compulsory alongside ICT and new technologies, and argued for universal access to English-medium education and better resources for provincial schools to reduce inequality within free education. He supported a non-partisan approach and proposed cooperation between Government and Opposition, including alternative funding mechanisms, to strengthen public schools. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms Read →
- 24 July 2025 Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa questioned the clarity and implementability of the Government’s education reform presentation, saying it resembled a wish list without sufficient operational detail, timelines, or strategies for early childhood education. He noted long delays in reforms and warned that results expected only by 2029 would exclude much of the current student cohort. He welcomed the Prime Minister’s assurance that the Grade 5 Scholarship Examination would not be abolished, while calling for greater attention to rural school upgrading, STEM access, teacher training infrastructure, and the welfare and inclusion of all school-sector personnel. Adjournment Debate: Proposed Educational Reforms Read →