Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, emphasized that giving children a good education is a shared duty. She shared that education is the key to changing a country’s culture for the better.

To support this goal, special programs were held at Kalmunai Al Asraq Vidyalaya and Ampara D. S. Senanayake Vidyalaya. These sessions helped teachers of Grades 1 and 6 in the Kalmunai, Sammanthurai, and Ampara areas understand the new changes in the education system.

Speaking to school principals at the Ampara event, Dr. Amarasuriya said that when the government changed, people hoped for big improvements in all areas, including education. She noted that even though there are problems like not enough resources, poor school buildings, and a shortage of teachers, many educators have worked hard to keep the free education system going. She praised their dedication and said they deserve ongoing support and recognition.

Currently, Sri Lanka has over 10,097 schools, but only about 300 are highly competitive. Some of these schools have 50 to 60 students in one classroom, while in remote areas, a whole school might have just 10 to 20 students. This shows a big gap in access and quality, the Minister pointed out.

Dr. Amarasuriya said the government is determined to fix these issues by improving school buildings, hiring more teachers, and keeping class sizes between 30 and 35 students to make learning more effective.

She stressed that as the country works on changing the education system, everyone must help. No child or school should be left behind, and building future leaders is something we must all work on together.

The event was also attended by Deputy Minister of Rural Development, Social Security, and Community Empowerment Wasantha Piyatissa, Members of Parliament Priyantha Wijerathne and Adambawa, along with provincial education officials.