The Prime Minister made these remarks while attending the opening ceremony of a multi-ethnic trilingual school constructed in the Polonnaruwa area with the support of the Government of India. She expressed these views today at the opening of the multi-ethnic, trilingual building donated by the Indian Government in the Gallella area of Polonnaruwa.
The Minister stated that Sri Lanka can be proud to be a nation where people of various religions, languages, and ethnicities live together in unity. She further said that, for the first time in history, it is a matter of great happiness that Sri Lankans are able to embark on a shared cultural journey towards a common national goal while safeguarding diversity.
Opening this building under the trilingual concept amid many challenges is a historic achievement, she said. A development plan has already been prepared to make maximum use of this land, which is expected to create educational and vocational opportunities for the local community, especially for young men and women, to achieve success.
The Minister also emphasized that, at a time when decisive reforms in the education sector are about to be implemented, the government’s main goal is to ensure that all children, without distinction, receive a quality education. She added that the reforms will not merely involve updating curricula but will also focus on creating a new transformative path for education.
She further stated that by ensuring a safe and quality educational environment for all children, the government aims to nurture future citizens suited to the modern workforce. Through these reforms, the objective is to produce a generation with moral responsibility, social accountability, and leadership qualities. To achieve this, the government is continuously working to improve school infrastructure, eliminate teacher shortages, and provide quality learning opportunities.
The Minister also noted that, in a rapidly changing technological world, one of the primary objectives is to prepare children for digital education. Therefore, special programs are being implemented to provide the necessary infrastructure for children to use technology correctly, acquire new knowledge and skills, and to integrate digital communication technology effectively into education.
She added that the government plans to implement training programs for educational administrators in collaboration with the Government of India. Through this initiative, it is expected to introduce new technological knowledge and ideas into the education system and the country. By identifying and correcting areas that need improvement, the aim is to ensure a successful future for children. The Prime Minister further stated that the government’s goal is to produce a new generation of citizens enriched with spiritual and moral values through education.
The Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha, Deputy Minister of Housing and Water Supply T. B. Sarath, Members of Parliament Ratnasiri Bandara and Sunil Ratnasiri, Secretary to the Ministry of Education Nalaka Kaluwewa, and several officials of the Ministry of Education also participated in this event.
Media Unit