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- 14 March 2025 Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna – Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure AI summary Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna responded to concerns raised about estate workers, stating that the Government is in discussions with plantation companies to secure a daily wage of Rs. 1,700 and expects company cooperation, especially as public funds are being used for estate roads and housing. He said the Government will implement commitments in the Hatton Declaration by granting land rights, house ownership and proper addresses to Malaiyaha people, with funds allocated this year for issuing deeds. He also cited Budget allocations of Rs. 1,800 million for vocational training and basic facilities for estate youth, plans to build 4,700 houses this year and next year with Indian assistance, and continued implementation of the smart classroom project with an additional Rs. 600 million from the Government. Appropriation Bill 2025: Committee Stage - Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure (Heads 135, 293, 337) Read →
- 14 March 2025 The Hon. (Ms.) Krishnan Kalaichelvi JJB AI summary Hon. Krishnan Kalaichelvi highlighted long-standing socio-economic issues facing the Malaiyaha tea estate community, including poor housing, education, health, infrastructure and nutrition, and said post-1948 governments should acknowledge their failure to provide lasting solutions. She argued that the NPP Government should now address these issues through planned measures, citing 2025 Budget allocations for tea smallholders, housing and infrastructure, vocational training, food assistance, land grants, roofing sheets and smart classrooms in estate schools. She also clarified that the proposed relocation of the Norwood Divisional Secretariat office to Hatton was discussed at the District Coordinating Committee in response to public and space-related concerns, and urged that the matter not be used for communal political mobilization. Appropriation Bill 2025: Committee Stage - Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure (Heads 135, 293, 337) Read →
- 14 March 2025 The Hon. Ajith Agalakada JJB AI summary Hon. Ajith Agalakada highlighted the difficulties faced by Malaiyaha communities in Monaragala District, including housing, education, sanitation, national identity cards, and birth certificates. He noted that the Budget has allocated funds for their housing and infrastructure and pledged his support as a Monaragala representative to ensure successful implementation. Appropriation Bill 2025: Committee Stage - Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure (Heads 135, 293, 337) Read →
- 14 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna acknowledged the decline in Grade 1 admissions, attributing it partly to falling birth rates and broader demographic change. He said the issue had been discussed repeatedly and that authorities were studying other social factors while working to make schools more attractive to children rather than relying on compulsion. Oral Questions and Answers Read →
- 14 March 2025 The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake questioned the Deputy Minister on the implications of a sharp decline in Grade 1 admissions, noting that intake had fallen from 421,000 in 2015 to 279,000 at present. He asked how the Government forecasts future education needs given 10,315 schools and 218,000 teachers, and whether the decline indicates a serious situation for the education sector. Oral Questions and Answers Read →
- 14 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna stated that students will continue to seek education abroad unless Sri Lanka strengthens its university system, even if the country develops as an education hub. He acknowledged a role for private universities, particularly in disciplines not offered elsewhere, and argued that the Budget’s focus should be on expanding quality higher education opportunities. Oral Questions and Answers Read →
- 14 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna argued that higher education pathways should be viewed beyond universities, noting that many students enter vocational institutions such as SLIATE, which currently has about 26,000 students and around 7,500 annual progressions. He stated that vocational education is being aligned with global trends and higher education, and contended that students choosing private, state, or vocational routes should not be treated as a significant loss of opportunity. He also challenged the assumption that students go abroad solely because of degree requirements. Oral Questions and Answers Read →
- 14 March 2025 The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF AI summary Ravi Karunanayake argued that all students who pass the A/L examination should have the opportunity to enter university, describing it as a human right. He urged the Minister to popularize the loan scheme and not limit higher education access to state universities, noting that the private sector also contributes effectively. Oral Questions and Answers Read →
- 14 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna clarified statistics on university access, stating that about 87,000 students apply annually, with roughly 65 per cent of applicants entering state universities, including institutions outside the UGC framework such as NSBM and KDU. He noted the existence of 28 non-State universities and around 130 affiliated entities linked to overseas institutions, raising concern that affiliated models may result in larger foreign currency outflows. Oral Questions and Answers Read →
- 14 March 2025 The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF AI summary Ravi Karunanayake questioned the limited admission of A/L-qualified students to state universities, noting that only about 42,000 enter despite 173,000 qualifying and substantial public expenditure on the university system. He asked the Prime Minister why the Government could not further strengthen higher education options, including private university access and interest-free loan schemes, citing past policy efforts and the large private and overseas education spending by families. Oral Questions and Answers Read →
- 14 March 2025 Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna - Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education JJB AI summary The Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education provided statistical answers on school admissions, examination outcomes, university eligibility, and higher education pathways. He reported declining Grade One admissions from 343,912 in 2019 to 298,959 in 2023, and stated that in 2023, 173,444 A/L candidates qualified for university admission while 42,282 were selected to state universities. He outlined alternative higher education routes, including external degrees, the Open University, vocational and technology institutions, and recognized non-state degree-awarding institutions, which had about 49,146 local degree students in 2024. He also stated that overseas study is privately financed and not fully traceable by the Ministry, and gave education expenditure figures rising from Rs. 340 billion in 2020 to an estimated Rs. 622 billion in 2025, with GDP share ranging from 1.6 to 2.2 per cent. Oral Questions and Answers Read →
- 14 March 2025 Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake raised Question No. 302/2024 seeking details on student enrolment in Grade One and admissions to government and private universities. The question requested information relevant to the education sector, likely including comparative figures and policy implications for school and higher education access. Oral Questions and Answers Read →
- 14 March 2025 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, Higher Education and Vocational Education, presented the 2023 Annual Report of the Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka. She moved that the report be referred to the relevant Sectoral Oversight Committee, and the motion was agreed to. Tabling of Annual Reports Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya - Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education JJB AI summary Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, responding under Standing Order 27(2), provided student and staff figures for the institution and said it currently has 469 local students, one foreign student, and 25 staff vacancies. She stated that academic activities were suspended for internal students from 19 July 2024 due to ragging-related incidents involving senior monk-students and subsequent disciplinary action, including barring ten students from classes, followed by a temporary closure after an examination boycott. She said the situation was not due to institutional inefficiency, and that discussions with monk-students had produced agreement to restart academic activities on 15 March 2025 and remove temporary structures. She added that reported issues in the online second-semester examinations would be considered during evaluation and that examinations would resume after reopening. Question by Private Notice: Reopening of Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. Dilith Jayaweera SB AI summary Hon. Dilith Jayaweera raised concerns over the closure of the Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka and the complete halt of academic activities for about two months. He asked the Prime Minister and Minister of Education for details on student and staff numbers, the reasons for the closure, whether institutional inefficiencies contributed to it, and what steps have been taken to reopen the university. He also questioned alleged irregularities in online semester examinations for the 2022/2023 academic year and requested information on any action taken. Question by Private Notice: Reopening of Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka Read →
- 12 March 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 2023 annual reports and accounts of the University of Jaffna, the Open University of Sri Lanka, and the University of Colombo School of Computing. She moved that the reports be referred to the relevant Sectoral Oversight Committee, and the House agreed. Opening and Papers Presented Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Chrishantha Abeysena - Minister of Science and Technology JJB AI summary The Minister said science and technology spending under the NPP Government would be treated as investment, with research funding directed to areas that raise income, earn foreign exchange, substitute imports, and support exports, including Rs. 1,000 million allocated for innovation and commercialization. He emphasized coordinating research institutions across ministries, avoiding duplication, and using scientific evaluation and policy briefs to translate research into policy. He cited ongoing work on human-elephant conflict, elephant-train collisions with domestically manufacturable braking and rail-gate technologies, fisheries productivity, evidence-based development of traditional medicine, commercialization of medical innovations, and renewable energy including solar and thermal resources. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. Gnanamuththu Srineshan ITAK AI summary Hon. Gnanamuththu Srineshan urged the Government to implement the digital economy agenda beyond urban areas by ensuring reliable telecommunications and internet access in rural and difficult areas, including parts of Batticaloa District and the North. He called for school and university curricula to be aligned with digital economy, science, technology and labour market needs, highlighting graduate unemployment and shortages of science, mathematics and ICT teachers in disadvantaged areas. He also requested practical measures to create employment for unemployed graduates and raised separate education-related concerns, including delays in Grade 5 Scholarship cut-off marks and appointments of acting principals who passed the Class 3 Principals’ Service exam. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Hasara Liyanage, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Hon. Hasara Liyanage called for proper investigations and justice following a distressing report from Anuradhapura General Hospital after International Women’s Day. Speaking on the 2025 Budget expenditure heads for the Ministries of Digital Economy and Science and Technology, she argued that Sri Lanka needs a coherent national science and technology policy, better coordination among related institutions, and reforms to improve public service delivery. She highlighted allocations to strengthen institutions such as NERDC and NSF, promote commercialization of research for SMEs and rural communities, and expand STEM education, particularly to address women’s lower participation in the science and technology labour market. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. M.A.M. Thahir ACMC AI summary Hon. M.A.M. Thahir supported the Government’s digital economy initiatives but argued that they must begin with school and university-level reforms, including stronger language, computer, and IT training, expanded technology intakes, and training for graduates to access foreign employment. He urged wider implementation of digital payment systems such as GovPay, including in the private sector, and cited countries such as India, Singapore and Malaysia as examples of revenue generation through digital services. He also raised concerns about teacher transfers, shortages, poor school infrastructure in Ampara and Pottuvil, and the financial burden on parents, calling for increased education funding and better transfer policies. He concluded by urging the Government, given its electoral mandate, to focus on economic development and anti-corruption reforms rather than actions perceived as politically motivated. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →