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- 10 March 2025 The Hon. Padmasiri Bandara JJB AI summary Hon. Padmasiri Bandara raised concerns about the separation between Provincial and National School teacher transfer processes, noting that zonal transfer boards lack authority to transfer teachers into National Schools. He said many teachers in Polonnaruwa’s provincial schools seek such transfers but have no clear mechanism, and asked whether powers would be adjusted to allow zonal boards to address these transfers and correct staffing imbalances. Oral Answers to Questions Read →
- 10 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna - Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education JJB AI summary Government teacher transfers are governed by the National Teacher Transfer Policy, though recent implementation lapses were acknowledged; inter-zonal transfers were conducted in several years, with annual transfers to resume from April 2025. The response also stated that irregularities in school admissions had been reported, and that intermediate-grade admissions would henceforth be made only through circulars where vacancies exist, not by ad hoc letters. Vacancies were reported in the Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service, Teacher Educators’ Service and Principals’ Service, with recruitment processes under way, including pending PSC procedures, Cabinet approval for principals’ recruitment, and further examinations to fill remaining posts. Oral Answers to Questions Read →
- 8 March 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Saroja Savithri Paulraj JJB AI summary Hon. Saroja Savithri Paulraj said children aged 14 to 18 can face workplace exploitation and called for stakeholder consultations to develop evidence-based solutions, noting that persons under 18 are internationally recognized as children. She stated that Kandyan Law, Tesawalamai, and Muslim Marriage and Divorce Law should be considered separately, with an expert committee to advise on reforms, and urged that ongoing processes not be complicated. She also objected to derogatory language used in Parliament and, marking International Women’s Day, said over 85 percent of her Ministry’s allocation is directed to child wellbeing as part of a gender-sensitive Budget. Appropriation Bill, 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Women and Child Affairs Read →
- 8 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam ITAK AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam noted that the Educational Development Consortium foundation is supporting preschool teacher training by providing scholarships of Rs. 60,000 per teacher, including in the hill country and Puttalam. He observed that the Budget allocation for the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs is lower than allocations for health and education, despite its broad responsibilities, and expressed hope that the Government will increase funding in future. Appropriation Bill, 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Women and Child Affairs Read →
- 8 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam ITAK AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam, speaking during the Committee Stage debate on the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs on International Women’s Day, argued that women’s empowerment is essential for social and economic development. He called for expanded employment opportunities, childcare services, new labour laws, support for women-led SMEs and self-employment, low-interest credit, training, and action against predatory microfinance and unsafe foreign employment practices. He also urged focused government attention on the North and East, citing the needs of female-headed households, children with special needs, and orphans following the war, including over 90,000 female-headed households. Appropriation Bill, 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Women and Child Affairs Read →
- 8 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Namal Sudarshana - Deputy Minister of Women and Child Affairs JJB AI summary The Deputy Minister outlined Women’s Week activities and emphasized early childhood development, detailing Budget allocations for preschool breakfasts, teacher allowances, maternal nutrition, Thriposha, institutional child care, and safe transport for children in custody. He said breakfast support will rise to Rs. 100 per child and target undernourished children through MOH identification, while preschool teacher allowances are proposed to increase to Rs. 6,000 from June. He also announced measures for institutionalized children, including monthly support, school admissions, vocational training, and a planned autism treatment model centre at Lady Ridgeway Hospital with district expansion over five years. He further highlighted women’s and children’s protection mechanisms, village-level mobilization, and greater awareness of the 1929 and 1938 toll-free counselling lines. Appropriation Bill, 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Women and Child Affairs Read →
- 8 March 2025 The Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran ITAK AI summary Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran used the Women and Child Affairs budget debate on International Women’s Day to call for justice and clear answers for families of the forcibly disappeared in the North and East, particularly protesting mothers and wives in Mullaitivu. He urged the Government to provide income support and livelihood assistance to female-headed households, citing over 9,000 such households in Mullaitivu and wider need across the North and East, and highlighted the impact on children who lost parents and persons with disabilities. He requested the Prime Minister and the Minister of Women and Child Affairs to visit Mullaitivu and also called for improved remuneration for pre-school teachers, who he said receive only Rs. 6,000 per month. Appropriation Bill, 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Women and Child Affairs Read →
- 8 March 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Chamindranee Kiriella, Attorney-at-Law SJB AI summary Hon. Chamindranee Kiriella marked International Women’s Day by acknowledging women’s historical contributions and then raised concerns about whether women and children receive adequate support under the Ministry’s Votes. She questioned whether the Rs. 100 per-meal allocation for preschool breakfasts is sufficient given malnutrition among under-five children, while welcoming continued programmes for pregnant mothers, preschool teachers, children with neurodevelopmental disorders, and sanitary pads for schoolgirls. She urged that menstrual hygiene support be extended to overcrowded women’s prisons, called for legal reforms to increase women’s representation in elected bodies, and highlighted low female labour force participation and maternity leave policy as issues affecting women’s economic participation. Appropriation Bill, 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Women and Child Affairs Read →
- 8 March 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Anushka Thilakarathne, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Marking International Women’s Day, the Member highlighted increased women’s representation in the Tenth Parliament and thanked women who supported that political change. She argued that addressing violence against women and children requires cross-ministerial action, not only allocations to the Women and Child Affairs Ministry, and cited Budget 2025 provisions for education and related sectors as part of this approach. She referred to Sri Lanka’s equality commitments under law and international instruments, noted the historic representation of tea estate women workers, and called for continued awareness and support programmes through relevant state institutions and the Ministry of Justice. Appropriation Bill, 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Women and Child Affairs Read →
- 8 March 2025 The Hon. Chanaka Madugoda SLPP AI summary Hon. Chanaka Madugoda used the debate on the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs Votes to call for practical support for women and children, including safer micro-credit through Samurdhi banks to counter predatory microfinance debt and stronger local-level development of female leadership. He urged higher allowances, training, early detection responsibilities, and retirement benefits for preschool teachers, and proposed more family-like and open child care models, citing SOS Children’s Villages. He also asked for State support for prenatal anomaly scans for vulnerable mothers, better arrangements for severely disabled children, relaxed welfare rules for widows living in extended households, and more efficient Sathosa pricing to reduce household costs. Appropriation Bill, 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Women and Child Affairs Read →
- 8 March 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Saroja Savithri Paulraj JJB AI summary Hon. Saroja Savithri Paulraj supported the proposals of Hon. Faiszer Musthapha regarding the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act, emphasizing the need to protect children’s right to education. She stated that reforms to the personal law would not be introduced unilaterally and proposed appointing a multi-sectoral committee involving Members of Parliament, civil society, and religious bodies to consider decisions collectively. Appropriation Bill, 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Women and Child Affairs Read →
- 8 March 2025 The Hon. Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan ITAK AI summary Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan argued that women’s representation in politics, higher education and public employment remains inadequate despite women comprising over half the population, and called for legal reforms to guarantee at least 50 per cent representation and access. He highlighted the economic vulnerability of female-headed households, especially in the North and East, and urged expanded training and self-employment support. He criticized reductions in the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs allocations, including cuts to women’s development and child development programmes, and called for substantially increased funding. He also noted that most children in care homes are there due to family poverty rather than orphanhood, proposing income support to families as a way to reduce institutionalization. Appropriation Bill, 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Women and Child Affairs Read →
- 8 March 2025 The Hon. Harshana Nanayakkara, Attorney-at-Law - Minister of Justice and National Integration JJB AI summary The Minister marked International Women’s Day by emphasizing that legal protections for women must be accompanied by changes in social attitudes beginning in childhood, including challenging gendered expectations and the notion that “boys will be boys.” He linked the Budget and justice reforms to Sri Lanka’s obligations under the UNCRC, citing allocations for maternal nutrition and preschool meals, and said he would expedite a Bill to outlaw corporal punishment while maintaining non-violent discipline. He also outlined plans for child-friendly courts, rehabilitation-focused juvenile justice, and safer transport for children in institutional care, including a Rs. 250 million Budget allocation for vehicles. Appropriation Bill, 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Women and Child Affairs Read →
- 8 March 2025 Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya - Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya linked International Women’s Day to the 2024 Polduwa Junction water cannon incident and the ongoing legal case, saying women’s rights must be understood through intersectionality, including class, religion, ethnicity, language and caste. She argued that Sri Lankan women’s advances were strongly supported by free education and free health, and that free education had been preserved through public and student struggles. As Prime Minister and Education Minister, she said education reforms would address gender relations and identities, boys’ declining educational participation and outcomes, and the need to build respectful, inclusive citizens. She also stated that gender budgeting and mainstreaming must be accompanied by structural and social change, not only laws or written policies. Appropriation Bill, 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Women and Child Affairs Read →
- 8 March 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Saroja Savithri Paulraj - Minister of Women and Child Affairs JJB AI summary The Minister marked International Women’s Day by highlighting women’s economic and social contributions and said the Government’s first Budget includes gender-sensitive measures, with Women and Child Affairs now elevated to a Cabinet ministry. She said the Ministry is pursuing policy and structural reforms through a National Action Plan, nationwide Women’s Week programmes on empowerment, legal awareness, protection and health, and a focus on women’s equality, dignity and remuneration. She also noted allocations for child and maternal welfare, including Rs. 7,500 million for nutrition support for expectant mothers and an increase in the preschool morning meal allowance from Rs. 60 to Rs. 100 per child. Appropriation Bill, 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Women and Child Affairs Read →
- 8 March 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna SJB AI summary Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna urged the Minister to involve experienced practitioners and subject experts in advancing the Ministry’s work. She asked for an update on the sexuality education programme developed by five ministries, following a decision of the Parliamentary Caucus for Children, to help reduce sexual violence against children. Appropriation Bill, 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Women and Child Affairs Read →
- 8 March 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna SJB AI summary Hon. Rohini Kumari Wijerathna argued that gender inequality in Sri Lanka is driven by discriminatory attitudes and inadequate legal and policy implementation, citing harassment in public transport, intimate partner violence, rape statistics, and under-16 pregnancies. She called for gender-responsive budgeting from the next Budget, with coordinated planning across ministries such as Education, Health, Justice, Finance, Foreign Employment and Women and Child Affairs, including practical measures like girl-friendly school sanitation, nutrition programmes for estate-sector women, and inclusion of transgender persons. She criticised the low capital allocation for the Women and Child Affairs Ministry and questioned policies affecting women, including cost-reflective electricity tariffs and reports of a 15 per cent tax on migrant worker remittances, urging greater investment in women’s economic empowerment. Appropriation Bill, 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Women and Child Affairs Read →
- 8 March 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna SJB AI summary Moving a token cut under Heads 171 and 217, Rohini Kumari Wijerathna used International Women’s Day to call for faster action on women’s rights, equality and empowerment, noting the national theme of a sustainable future through women’s empowerment and the international theme “Accelerate Action.” She argued that persistent problems such as domestic violence, period poverty and barriers to girls’ education are rooted in social and policy failures rather than in women themselves. She highlighted that although women comprise 64.8 per cent of graduates, female labour force participation remains only 32.1 per cent, and called for lawmakers to address these gaps substantively rather than ceremonially. Appropriation Bill, 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Women and Child Affairs Read →
- 8 March 2025 Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya - Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education JJB AI summary The Prime Minister stated that she had been informed of the incident that day and would instruct the Ministry to conduct an inquiry. She said both legal and disciplinary action would be pursued where appropriate, and undertook to provide any further information on the investigation to Parliament within the day. Statement on International Women's Day Read →
- 8 March 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) M.A.C.S. (Sasthuri) Gangani AI summary On International Women’s Day, Hon. (Mrs.) M.A.C.S. (Sasthuri) Gangani raised an incident of alleged workplace violence against a female teacher at Halwimulla Vidyalaya in the Embilipitiya Education Zone. She said the teacher had been assaulted by a male teacher, reportedly in the Principal’s presence, had made the required logbook entry, and was hospitalized. She asked the Prime Minister whether she was aware of the incident and what action would be taken. Statement on International Women's Day Read →