Education is a fundamental right. Human capital development is our priority.

• In recognition of their crucial role in developing the nation’s human capital, the government will provide free public transportation to all teachers across Sri Lanka.
• Formulating a work plan by making policy decisions before January 2025 to address long-drawn-out salary, pension and service issues in the education sector.
• Developing a roadmap to transform every school into a smart school by providing 100% electricity, water facilities, and physical resources to all schools in Sri Lanka.
• Teacher vacancies for the teaching of religion will be filled. Religious education in schools will be handled by those qualified to teach religion.
• Building a Smart Sri Lanka, ensuring students can access digital learning platforms in schools shall be prioritised via an expanded ‘Sakwala’ programme. This shall involve a total overhaul of delivering content using digital technology. This programme shall be extended to technical and vocational institutions and universities making quality education services affordable. Create 10,096 foster school programmes that attract generous donors to support the establishment and improvement of SMART schools and digital infrastructure.
• Initiate a school twinning programme to foster global partnerships, cultural exchange, and collaborative learning opportunities between schools.
• Mandate that every school establish a trust fund supported by local communities to ensure the maintenance and sustainability of school facilities.
• Initiating actions from January 2025 to create a system of “STEAM” education that prioritizes Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics in all institutions of education by expediting teacher training activities.
• When updating school curricula, expert opinions will be sought from domestic, multilateral institutions, and foreign governments and private sector human resource specialists. Efforts will be made to give due consideration to modern technological trends including Artificial Intelligence.
• Simplifying and restructuring the Grade 5 Scholarship Examination, which has put children under immense mental stress.
• Recognizing Early Childhood Education (ECE) as fundamental to developing responsible citizens, we will establish a regulatory authority with a multi-stakeholder advisory committee, upgrade child-friendly and modern infrastructure, enhance teacher training and accreditation, and promote parental engagement.
• Primary and secondary school education will be designed with the use of tools of modern technology so that a student can understand, speak, and write English from an early stage of schooling.
• All female school students from Grade 6 -13 can avail themselves on a self-selection basis to receive a monthly cash transfer for the purchase menstrual hygiene products.
• Taking immediate steps to restructure the University Grants Commission to address professional issues in the university sector. Reforming the University Grants Commission Act and strengthening the independence of the University. Appointing a higher education commission to oversee the quality of state, non-state and private higher education institutions. Take necessary measures to improve the international rankings of all government and non-governmental universities, thereby enhancing their international recognition.
• Sri Lanka will coordinate with IIT / IIM India to facilitate the establishment of such a university in the country, advancing technology and innovation.
• Enhance university twinning initiatives aimed at improving academic standards, research collaborations, and student exchange programmes.
• The current loan programme of the government for education at non-governmental and private universities will be expanded to cover recognized private vocational training institutions as well.
• Vocational training curricula will be comprehensively modernized and standardized to align with current market demands, ensuring graduates possess relevant, in-demand skills.
• The youth, who are the lifeblood of the country, should be satisfied and happy citizens. To productively utilize their labor contribution for the country’s development, we will provide them with the latest facilities for education, vocational training, and entrepreneurship, facilitating their access to new domestic and foreign opportunities.

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