Sri Lanka PM vows no child will fail under new education reforms

Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, stated that under Sri Lanka’s upcoming education reforms, no child will fail and all students will have the opportunity to continue their education, either through academic or vocational streams.

She made these remarks while addressing a gathering of intellectual professionals from the Northern Province at an event held at the Jaffna Young Men’s Catholic Association (YMCA) hall on Saturday (August 2).

Speaking at the event, the Prime Minister explained that the new reforms aim to move away from the traditional education system, allowing students to progress toward higher education through flexible academic and vocational pathways.

Dr. Amarasuriya dismissed recent claims that History, Religion, and Aesthetics subjects have been removed from the school curriculum, calling such claims false and baseless. “These subjects have not been removed in any way,” she emphasized.

She further stated that the upcoming reforms are intended to reduce the pressure traditionally placed on students, instead encouraging them to pursue subjects they are interested in and guiding them to identify suitable career paths.

“Vocational education will be introduced within the school system itself,” she noted, highlighting that students will be able to choose between academic and vocational education based on their interests and abilities.

The Prime Minister clarified that the reform process is not yet finalized. “This is a step-by-step process,” she said, adding that the reforms will be shaped through constructive suggestions and criticisms from teachers, parents, subject experts, and the broader society keeping what is needed and removing what is not.

Also present at the event were Minister of Fisheries Ramalingam Chandrasekaran, Members of Parliament from the National People’s Power (NPP), education officials from the Northern Province, and other professionals.