July 27, Colombo (LNW): A recent session of the Committee on Public Accounts (CoPA) has brought to light a troubling example of public expenditure lacking in meaningful impact, as over Rs. 2.4 million was reportedly spent on new signage alone for a large-scale reclassification of provincial schools.
The initiative, launched under a previous administration, aimed to rebrand 809 provincial schools as national schools. However, inquiries by the committee revealed that the transformation has been, for the most part, superficial.
The schools in question remain unchanged in terms of infrastructure, staffing, or academic standards—bearing only the new titles without the substantive improvements such a designation would typically imply.
Officials from the Ministry of Education were called before CoPA to explain the rationale behind the spending, which has been criticised for prioritising cosmetic changes over genuine educational development.
Members of the committee expressed concern that the move appears to have been little more than a symbolic gesture, with minimal benefit to students or the broader education system.
In response to the findings, CoPA has instructed the Ministry to compile a detailed report within three months. This report must cover the broader programme to expand the number of national schools to 1,000—a target set by the former government—as well as provide specific updates on 72 related projects initiated under the State Ministry of Education.
