– The Prime Minister and the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Dr. Harini Amarasuriya. 

The Prime Minister and the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Dr. Harini Amarasuriya said that the new education reform is not a reform of the Ministry of Education or of the President Anura or Prime Minister Harini but it is a responsibility collectively to be fulfilled for the children by all with understanding doing some positive changes according to the provided views and suggestions.

The Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya expressed this while addressing the program held today (02) at the auditorium in the main secretariat of the Northern Province to sensitize the educational authorities of the Northern Province about new education reforms.

Expressing further ideas at this event, The Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya said that,

According to the prevailing education system, a child admitted to grade one ends the school education without any confidence or pleasure about the future. A friendly environment and a teaching method must be created for children. The entrepreneurs, Artists and all kind of professional with vocational competencies as well as the Doctors and Engineers must be created from the school.       

In the new education reforms not only one province, one district, one zone but each province, each district and each zone are important. The equality starts from there. If we want to need to give equal opportunities to all children in our country all the resources cannot be utilized in one district or in one zone. It must be distributed in an equitable way.

There, more attention must be drawn to the difficult areas with less resources.

As well as providing solutions to teacher shortages, the all facilities such as digital facilities, classrooms with learning facilities, sanitary facilities, water, playgrounds, laboratories, opportunities for new innovations and aesthetic units etc. must be developed in the schools.

We have a very good plan for it. In the same way, evaluation and assessment are also very important. We need to provide a more child friendly learning method and a teaching learning environment and to create a citizen from the school who is responsible to the society.   

We are continuing with this public debate and the discussion for that purpose. Because this is not a reform of the Ministry of Education or Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya or of the President Anura Kumara Dissanayaka. This is a reform of the national education of Sri Lanka. All of us must have an idea about it. We all must join with it.

This debate must continue because we do this reform stage by stage in the future. If we wait to start this reform until finalizing all necessary things, we will have to wait for about another 10 years. Therefore, this reform will be started in the year 2026 for grade 1 and grade 6.

We listen to your feedback, ideas and suggestions very often, be flexible and do possible progressive changes and continue the process. But we have a vision for this.   

All are in agreement with the providing of a better education for all the children in our country. Therefore, you must not think only about one pillar of the reform. This is a complete package for entire education structure.

We cannot do this by dividing the schools as central government schools and provincial schools. All the children in the country are our children. So, we cannot work disconnecting ourselves. We must work unitedly. Within the next five years’ time we must work with close interaction with each other. Let us work together for the children.    

Generate a dialogue about the education reforms. We have already had the discussions with teachers’ unions, with professionals and the teachers of the universities. That will continue.

All sections of the society including the parents must join with this process, said The Prime Minister and the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.  

A large gathering including the Minister of Fisheries Ramalingam Chandrasekaran, The Governor of the Northern Province Nahalingam Wedanayagam, Members of Parliament, the Secretary of the Ministry of Education Nalaka Kaluwewa, the officers representing the Ministry of Education, National Institute of Education and the Department of Examinations and educational authorities of Northern Province were present at this occasion.