April 21, Colombo (LNW): Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya unveiled plans to introduce far-reaching reforms intended to eliminate longstanding disparities between schools nationwide.
The initiative, earmarked for implementation in 2026, will serve as a central pillar of the government’s broader vision for educational transformation.
Speaking at a public meeting held at the Irattaperiyakulam Town Hall in the Vanni District, the Prime Minister outlined her government’s commitment to reshaping the educational landscape in a way that prioritises equality, inclusion, and long-term empowerment.
The event drew a large audience, including local parliamentarians and members of the National People’s Power (NPP) movement, which leads the current administration.
A cornerstone of the proposed reform is a commitment to guarantee all children across the country access to thirteen uninterrupted years of education. The move is designed to close the gap between urban and rural schools, and between students of differing socio-economic backgrounds.
The Prime Minister emphasised that the new system will depart from a rigid, examination-heavy structure, making way for a curriculum that fosters broader development and cultivates essential life skills.
Dr Amarasuriya highlighted that the upcoming national budget has earmarked the largest-ever allocation for education in Sri Lanka’s post-independence history. This investment, she stated, reflects the government’s understanding that a meaningful transformation of the sector requires changes at every level—from pedagogy and curriculum design to infrastructure and teacher training.
To support this transition, the Prime Minister announced plans to revamp the country’s teacher education institutions. Particular attention is being paid to the improvement of teacher training standards and the upgrade of physical infrastructure at training colleges.
As part of this effort, a Sinhala-medium teacher training college in Vavuniya District, which had been dormant for several years, is to be rehabilitated and reopened using newly allocated budgetary funds.
Dr Amarasuriya stressed that the reform programme is not just an administrative undertaking, but a moral obligation to future generations. She explained that the vision underpinning the project is to build an education system capable of equipping students not only with academic knowledge but with resilience, critical thinking, and a strong ethical foundation.
The objective, she said, is to ensure that education becomes a force for empowerment rather than exclusion.
The public meeting also saw the participation of Deputy Minister of Co-operative Development Upali Samarasinghe, along with Vavuniya District MPs S. Thilakanathan and M. Jegatheeswaran. Several NPP candidates for local government seats and members of the public were present to hear first-hand about the government’s ambitions for the education sector.
