Due to the impact of Cyclone Ditwah, Sri Lanka’s eductaion system was severely disrupted and to restore this system, a project plan prepared by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) was presented in a discussion held between the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, and a delegation from UNICEF.

The meeting took place at the Ministry of Education with the purpose of carrying out a detailed review of the phases included in UNICEF’s proposed plan titled, “equity and quality” which aligns with the Ministry’s strategies to rebuild the education sector in Sri Lanka following the disaster.

Special attention was paid to students and staff across the entire education system, including schools, universities, colleges of education, and vocational training institutes affected by the disaster. The plans include categorising the nature of damages to these institutions, rapidly repairing those that require urgent restoration, and implementing infrastructure development programmes such as establishing alternative learning centres to replace fully damaged schools.

Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr. Madhura Seneviratne and Secretary to the Ministry of Education Nalaka Kaluwewa participated in the event. Also present were UNICEF Sri Lanka Representative Ms. Emma Brigham, along with Ms. Lakshmi Sureshkumar, Mr. Nishantha Subash, and Mr. Yashinka Jayasinghe.