About Us

Hon. Minister of Education

Hon. Dr. Susil Premajayantha, M.P.

Achchige Don Susil Premajayantha (born 10 January 1955) is a Sri Lankan politician and a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka.

Education

Premajayantha received his primary and secondary education at St. John's College, Nugegoda. After that he attended the University of Colombo and received a Bachelor of Laws in 1982 and became an Attorney at Law in 1984. Later on in 2004 he also gained a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura.

Political Career

Premajayantha began his political career in 1991 being elected as the Deputy Chairman of Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte Urban Council. In 1993 he was elected to the Western Provincial Council and was elected Chief Minister in 1995.

Secretary to the Ministry of Education

Mr. M. N. Ranasinghe

Graduated in Bsc.(Business Administration) Special from the University  of Sri Jayawardenapura and obtained a Master Degree in Public Administration with a Merit pass (MPA) from the Post Graduate Institute of Management, University of Sri Jayawardenapura. Mr.Ranasinghe is a Special Grade officer of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service who counts 32 years of experience in various capacities and positions.

First he was appointed as a Sri Lanka Administration Service Officer in 1991 and posted to Kurunegala District as an Assistant Divisional Secretary in Kurunegala Division. Thereafter, served in District level & provincial level in various positions such as Assistant District Secretary, Assistant Secretary to the Chief Ministry of North western Province, Provincial

Director of Industries during the First ten years of his career from 1991 to 2001.

Then moved to Colombo and joined the Department of Immigration and Emigration. He started his work there as the Assistant Controller and served different positions. He assumed his duties as the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration in 2014.

During his tenure in the Public service he has participated in several international workshops, seminars, symposia in the fields of Immigration Management and related Systems Development Programmes.

He Joined the Ministry of Education as the Secretary Education after he Served director General of SLIDA from 2019 November to 2020 August.

Then He Joined the State Ministry of Fertilizer as the Secretary 2020 August and Served until 2022 May.

At Present serves as the Secretary of the Ministry of Education.

Additional Secretary - Policy Planning and Performance Review

Mrs. B.M. Weerasuriya

Mrs. B. Maheshi Weerasuriya commenced her duties as the Addl. Secretary (Policy Planning and Performance Review) from 15th of May 2023 and she is a class one officer in the Education Administrative Service with the 35 years of experience in education service. She has served as the Deputy Principal of Devi Balika Vidyalaya and Ananda Balika Vidyalaya in Colombo and as the Assistant Director and the Deputy Director of Education Development Section of the Provincial Education Department in the Western Province and as the Principal of Newstead Balika Vidyalaya in Negombo. She has also served in the Ministry of Education as the Directress of English and Foreign Languages, Bilingual Education and Education Development.

 

Furthermore, she has obtained the Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Sri Jayawardanapura, and the Post Graduate Diploma in Education from the University of Colombo and also the Masters’ Degree from Wollongong University in Australia.      

Additional Secretary - Information Technology & Digital Education

Dr.Kithsiri Prasanjith Munagama

Dr. Kithsiri Prasanjith Munagama is the Additional Secretary (Information Technology & Digital Education) of the Ministry of Education. He is a Class 1 officer of Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service (SLAS). He has started the service as a Science Teacher and later performed as an Principal , Deputy Director of Education(Education Development/ Education Planning/Teacher Education/Technology Education), Assistant Commissioner of Examinations(Evaluation – Agency Examinations), Director – Technology Education. Assistant Engineer – Fire Alarm Systems – Saudi Aramco –KSA, National Trainer – School base Teacher Development, Capacity Development Specialist – Technology Education Development Programme(TEDP – OFID) and National STEAM education Task force member & MoE Focal point.

Dr.Kithsiri Prasanjith Munagama holds a National Dip.In Teaching in the field in Science from Siyane(NCoE) and He completed his B.A. from the University of Jayawardhanapura , PGDE(University of Colombo) , Dip in Assessment and Evaluation (University of Melbourne) and Ph.D(University of Colombo).

As well as he is a Concept Developer All Island School Robotic and Innovation Competition and Innovation laboratories for schools granted by ADB. Wood badge holder – Sri lanka Scout Association – Former District Scout Commissioner – Gampaha District

Additional Secretary - Educational Service Establishment

Mr. I.M.A.B. Ilangasinghe

Dr. I.M.K.B. Illangasingha, Attorney at Law is serving as the Addl. Secretary (Education Service Establishment) in the Ministry of Education. He is a member of the first batch appointed through the open competitive examination to the education administrative service. He works as a special grade officer in the Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service since 01st of July 2015. He is a Lieutenant Colonel of the volunteer force of Sri Lanka Army and an Attorney at Law of the Supreme Court and also an officer who has obtained a PHD degree from the University of Colombo. He has worked for several years in the positions such as the Principal of several leading schools in the country, Assistant Director and Deputy Director in Zonal Offices, Addl. Provincial Director in Provincial Education Offices and the Director of Education in the Ministry of Education. Furthermore, he has served as Additional Director General Teacher Education and the Deputy Director General of the National Institution of Education and in the Education Leadership Development Centre at Meepe and also as a Commissioner General of Education Publications.

Mr. Illangasingha obtained his first degree from the University of Peradeniya and the Post Graduate Diploma in Education, Master of Education and the Doctor of Philosophy (PHD) in Education from the University of Colombo and he has also obtained Post Graduate Diploma in Educational Management from Sri Jayawardanapura University and Post Graduate Diploma in Educational Management from Maharagama National Institute of Education. He works also as an Attorney at Law, Notary Public and a Commissioner for Oaths after obtaining the Bachelor of Law Degree from the Open University of Sri Lanka and passing the final exam at Law College and then taking oaths at the Supreme Court. He has also written 4 books under the topics of Procurement Process and Conducting Boarder Surveys, Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service, Teacher Education Service, Principal Service Its Beginning and Expansion, Preliminary Investigations, Formal Disciplinary Inquiries and Conducting Evidence.

 

Additional Secretary - Educational Quality Development

Mrs.Gayathri Abeygunasekara

Mrs. Gayathri Abeygunasekara started duties as the Addl. Secretary (Education Quality Development) of the Ministry of Education from 29th of May 2023 and she is a class one officer of the Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service with a service period of about 35 years. She has served as a Deputy Principal of Sri Sumangala Central College, Nu/ Nildandahinna, an Assistant Directress of Education in the Divisional Education Office, Walapane, an Assistant Directress of Education in Religious and Value Education Branch of the Ministry of Education and also 31 years in the Department of Examinations as Assistant Commissioner of Examinations (Research and Development), Deputy Commissioner of Examinations (Research and Development) and the Deputy Commissioner of Examinations (Administration, Investigations Research and Development).

She has studied the Bachelor of Commerce (Special) degree in Kelaniya University and the Post Graduate Diploma in Education in the University of Colombo. And also, she has obtained the post graduate degree in Education Assessment and Measurement from Melbourne University of Australia.

Additional Secretary - School Affairs

Mrs. Nilamani Malaviarachchi

Additional Secretary - Administration

Mrs. H. Nilakshi N Gunasekara

Additional Secretary - Discipline and Investigation

Mr. P. L. Pathmakumara

Mr. P. L. Pathmakumara is the Additional Secretary (Discipline and Investigation) of the Ministry of Education. He is a special grade officer of Sri Lanka Administrative Service (SLAS) having twenty years (20) experience in the administration and development field. He has started his service in the public administration in 2000, as an Assistant Divisional Secretary at the Divisional Secretariat of Ambalangoda. From there onwards, he has served divisional level, departments, and ministries too in various capacities as Assistant Divisional Secretary, Assistant Director, Assistant Controller, Deputy Controller, Senior Assistant Secretary and director too.

Mr. P. L. Pathmakumara is a Bachelor of Arts (Sociology) graduate in the University of Colombo, and holds, Master of Arts (Sociology) in the University of Kelaniya. And Diploma in Public Administration in Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration (SLIDA).

Additional Secretary - Establishment

Mr. A.J.S.S. Edirisooriya

Mr. A.J.S.S. Edirisooriya works as the Additional Secretary – Establishment in the Ministry of Education. Mr. Edirisooriya is an officer of the special grade in Sri Lanka Administrative Service with a service period of 30 years having experience as an administrative service officer for 23 years. He started his service as Southern Province Cooperative Development Assistant Commissioner and later he served as the Assistant Divisional Secretary of Sri Jayawardanapura Kotte. As a grade I officer he has served as Divisional Secretary, Maharagama, Divisional Secretary, Sri Jayawardanapura Kotte and as a Director of the Management Services Department of the Ministry of Finance. As an officer in the special grade, he has served in the post of Addl. Secretary in the State Ministry of Mahaweli Development and as the Director General of Sports Development Department.

Mr. Edirisooriya is an Arts Graduate of Kelaniya University and has obtained the professional qualification as an Attorney at Law of the Supreme Court after qualifying from the Sri Lanka Law College. And also, he has the post-graduate qualification on State Administration from Sri Lanka Development Administration Institution.

Additional Secretary - Procurement & Construction

Mrs. Devika Liyanage

She had been working as a Mathematics teacher for  5 years after passing out from the “Siyane College of  Education.” She joined SLAS in 2000 and had been working at following institutions.

 

·         Assistant Controller (Supply)                         - Department of Food

·         Assistant Secretary (Disciplinary                   - Public Service Commission 

·         Deputy Controller                                           - Department of immigration and Emigration

·         Director (Admin)                                             - Merchant Shipping Secretariat

·         Senior Assistant Secretary (Defence)            - Ministry of Defence  

·         Director (Establishment & Disciplinary)     - National Police Commission

·         Additional Secretary                                     -  State  Ministry of Land Management  

·         Additional Secretary ( Project)                    – Ministry of Lands 

Additional Secretary - Non Academic & Combined Services

R.B Gankewala

Mrs. R.B.Gankewala is the Additional Secretary ( Non Academic and Combined Services)of the Ministry of Education. She is a Special Grade officer of Sri Lanka Administrative Service (SLAS) having 20 years of service in the fields of administration and development. She has started the service as a Director of the Ministry of Health and later performed as an Assistant Secretary, Senior Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Education. As a Class -1 officer she served in the Ministry of Finance and  Sri Lanka Customs and as a Special Grade officer she served in the State Ministry of Production, Supply and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals and the State Ministry of Solar, Wind and Hydro Power Generation Projects Development. 

Mrs. Gankewala is a Bachelor of Science graduate specialized in the field in Chemistry from University of Peradeniya and she completed her Master of Arts Degree from the University of Kelaniya and Diploma in Public Administration from Sri Lanka Institute of Development and Administration.

Director General - Accounts & Finance (Acting)

Mr. D. L. A. Wijenayake

MPA (e-Government) PIM-University of Sri Jayewardenepura, PGD (Accounts & Finance) University of Peradeniya, HNDA, DPFM, Diploma in IT, CompTia A+, CA (Final), MAAT. Interest in Public Financial Management, Procurement Management, Project Finance, e-Government Services. Exposure in the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Thailand and India.

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