2021-11-26
News Categories : Committee News
According to the report of the Cabinet Subcommittee on teacher and Principals 'Salary Anomalies, an additional Rs. 31 million has been included in this year's budget following the discussions with the Prime Minister, the Hon. Minister of Finance and the Teachers' Trade Unions, Hon. Dinesh Gunawardena, Minister of Education said.
He stated the above addressing the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Education which met in Parliament recently (24).
Furthermore, the Minister stated that the z-score for the A / L results has been released and that the obstacles to the release of the G. C. E. OL results while the teacher-principal salary anomaly crisis persisted has been resolved.
Additionally, relevant dates to hold the GCE (Advanced Level) examination, Grade 5 Scholarship Examination and GCE (O / L) examination which was postponed due to COVID – 19 have already been decided, the Minister said. Accordingly, the Grade 5 scholarship examination will be held on January, 2022 and the GCE (Advanced Level) examination will be held in the first week of February. GCE (Ordinary Level) examination will be held on May 23rd.
The report of the technical Committee appointed by the Parliamentary Sub-Committee on the Inclusion of Law as a Subject in School Curriculum was submitted to the Consultative Committee by State Minister of State, (Dr.) Susil Premajayantha for approval.
Addressing the Committee, the state minister said that it is proposed to change the subject of Citizenship Education, which is currently a compulsory subject from Grade 6 to Grade 9 in the school curriculum, to Law and Citizenship Education after these reforms.
According to the report of the technical committee, the inclusion of law as a subject in the school curriculum will create awareness among children about the law, create awareness about the consequences of disobedience and punishment, provide an understanding of the rights protected by law, legislation and law enforcement mechanisms. It is expected to develop skills such as providing an understanding of the duties and responsibilities established by law in a civilized society.
The state minister further stated that the Final Report on the Policy Framework compiled into three sections on Educational Reforms in Vocational Education and Educational Reforms in Higher Education Educational Reforms from Early Childhood to Advanced Level in Relation to Expected New Education Reforms, has been released in August 2020. He also stated that a digital platform for anyone to express their views on general education was launched on March 28th, 2021 under the patronage of the H.E. the President.
The Minister said that a report prepared after examining 2400 ideas and suggestions received for this purpose has been submitted to the National Education Commission.
Hon. State Ministry of Skills Development, Vocational Education, Research & Innovation (Dr.) Seetha Arambepola said that an urban university would be established in every district where there is no national university.
Initiated as stated in the Policy Statement of H. E. the President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the 1000 National Schools Program launched was also discussed at length.
Chairman of the Committee Hon. Dinesh Gunawardena, Minister of Education, Hon. Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, (Dr.) Susil Premajayantha, (Dr.) Seetha Arambepola, Piyal Nishantha, Vijitha Berugoda, Hon. Members of Parliament Rauff Hakeem, Thavaraja Kalai Arasan, Sudath Manjula, Shantha Bandara, Eran Wickramaratne, Premnath C. Dolawatte, Cader Mastan, (Dr.) Upul Galappaththi, Yadamini Gunawardena, Anupa Pasqual, Charles Nirmalanathan, Nimal Piyathissa, Chamara Sampath Dasanayake, (Dr.) V. Radhakrishnan, Udayakantha Goonetileke, Ajith Rajapaksa, Diana Gamage, Upul Mahendra Rajapaksha, Shantha Bandara, Geetha Kumarasinghe, Goonetilleke Rajapaksa, Prof. Charitha Herath, Madhura Withanage, Manjula Dissanayake, Rohana Dissanayake, Kokila Gunawardena and Prof. K. Kapila C.K. Perera Secretary of Ministry of Education and officials were present at this meeting.
2026-05-25
Committee agrees to seek public opinions and feedback for its review processSelect Committee of Parliament to review the laws dealing with Elections (excluding laws dealing with Provincial Council Elections) and report to Parliament and submit its proposals and recommendations in that regard, recently met in Parliament for the first time under the chairmanship of the Hon. Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, Prof. A.H.M.H. Abayarathna.The primary objective of the committee is to review laws relating to the electoral system, including the Registration of Electors Act, the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance, the Parliamentary Elections Act, the Presidential Elections Act, as well as amendments made to those laws over the years and special legislative provisions relevant to their implementation.In addition, the committee has been tasked with evaluating the need to revise, amend, and consolidate the above laws, and to recommend necessary reforms and amendments to the current legal framework governing elections.For the purpose of conducting a comprehensive study on the above matters, the committee has been vested with the authority to summon any individual before the committee as deemed necessary, require the submission of any document or report, and obtain evidence either in writing or orally. Furthermore, the committee is empowered to obtain the assistance of experts and professionals with specialized knowledge in relevant fields to support its work.Accordingly, the members of the committee agreed to obtain public views for the committee’s activities and to raise wider public awareness regarding the review process.The meeting was attended by Hon. Deputy Minister (Attorney-at-Law) Sunil Watagala and Hon. Members of Parliament Ravi Karunanayake, J.C. Alawathuwala, Harshana Rajakaruna, Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan, Ruwanthilaka Jayakody, (Attorney-at-Law) Thushari Jayasinghe, and Chandima Hettiarachchi.
2026-05-21
A subcommittee has been appointed by the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Resource Sustainability to investigate the environmental impact caused by the Norochcholai Lakvijaya Power Plant and to submit recommendations. The subcommittee will be chaired by Hon. Member of Parliament (Attorney-at-Law) Bhagya Sri Herath.The subcommittee was appointed during a recent meeting of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Resource Sustainability held in Parliament under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Hector Appuhamy.Officials representing the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Power and Energy, Ministry of Health and Mass Media, and several other institutions participated in discussions regarding the environmental impact of the Norochcholai Lakvijaya Power Plant. Following extensive discussions on the environmental effects of the plant’s operations, the parties responsible, and whether there had been shortcomings on the part of the relevant institutions, it was decided to appoint this subcommittee to further investigate the matter.During the meeting, the Committee Chairman also stated that the committee intends to request discussions with the German, Japanese, and Chinese Embassies in Sri Lanka, as well as the Indian High Commission to obtain opportunities for officials to participate in training programs related to new technologies used in power plants in those countries.
2026-05-21
The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection approved five performance reports at a meeting recently held in Parliament, under the chairmanship of, Hon. Member of Parliament Dr. Najith Indika.Accordingly, following extensive deliberations, the Committee approved the Performance Reports of the Presidential Secretariat for the years 2023 and 2024, as well as the 2024 Performance Report of the President’s Fund.In addition, the Annual Performance Reports of the Prime Minister’s Office for the years 2023 and 2024 were also considered and approved by the Committee.Furthermore, the Committee discussed a proposal submitted by Hon. Member of Parliament Ajith P. Perera regarding amendments to the Survey Act No. 17 of 2002 to facilitate the registration of survey plans prepared by licensed surveyors.The meeting was attended by Hon. Members of Parliament Ajith P. Perera, Mujibur Rahman, Faiszer Musthapha, PC, Dharmapriya Wijesinghe, M.K.M. Aslam, and Major General (Retd.) G.D. Sooriyabandara.
2026-05-19
Officials of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) informed the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Women and Child Affairs that a decision has been taken to provide a monthly allowance of Rs. 10,000/- for children aged between 2 and 13 years of parents employed overseas, if those children are enrolled in daycare centres.The officials made these remarks during the Committee meeting chaired by Hon. Minister of Women and Child Affairs (Mrs.) Saroja Savithri Paulraj, with the participation of Hon. Deputy Minister of Women and Child Affairs (Dr.) Namal Sudarshana.The officials of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment made these comments while responding to inquiries regarding the progress of directives previously issued by the Committee to the Bureau’s General Manager (Local Affairs) concerning social issues arising due to mothers of young children leaving overseas for employment. Accordingly, the officials stated that the allowance would be granted to families where the monthly income of parents employed overseas exceeds USD 400, and that an initial allocation of Rs. 10 million has been set aside for the programme.They further stated that the approval process related to the initiative is currently in its final stage, following which monthly payments could be made to the relevant registered daycare centres through District Secretariat offices. Hon. Minister (Mrs.) Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Chairperson of the Committee, emphasized that steps should be taken to raise public awareness regarding this initiative, which she described as a highly positive measure.The Committee also discussed the progress of filling vacancies for female police officers, as previously instructed during an earlier Committee meeting. It was revealed that applications have now been called to recruit 50 female Sub-Inspectors of Police and 2,600 female Police Constables. An officer representing the Sri Lanka Police informed the Committee that special promotional campaigns have also been launched through social media to recruit female police officers who can speak Tamil.The Chairperson of the Committee further stressed the need to pay special attention to existing vacancies for Public Health Midwives who can speak Tamil. She also instructed officials to take steps to raise awareness among students who have completed their G.C.E Advanced Level education in the Tamil medium regarding these opportunities.The Chairperson also inquired into the progress of establishing a national data system by consolidating all data relating to children in Sri Lanka currently maintained by the Department of Probation and Child Care Services, the National Child Protection Authority, and other institutions. She noted that, with the intervention of the Ministry of Digital Economy, the process of developing the data system is expected to be completed within this year.The Committee also emphasized the need for all relevant institutions to act in close coordination to facilitate the swift implementation of the law in cases of child abuse and to manage subsequent situations effectively. Accordingly, Hon. Minister (Mrs.) Saroja Savithri Paulraj pointed out that officials representing Divisional Secretariat offices, the Department of Probation and Child Care Services, the National Child Protection Authority, the Sri Lanka Police, and all other relevant institutions should work collaboratively as a single team.The Chairperson further stated that incidents of abuse against women and children, delays in taking action, or any shortcomings could be reported directly to her at any time via telephone or WhatsApp, and assured that prompt intervention would be made.The Minister also stated that it is expected to propose, in next year’s budget, measures to increase the allowance for preschool teachers, provide free breakfast to every preschool child, and introduce a contributory pension scheme for preschool teachers.Attention was also drawn to practical issues arising in the transfer of women employed in government service, as well as matters relating to the regulation of preschools and daycare centres.In addition, Members of Parliament brought to the attention of the Committee various issues relating to women and children’s affairs, and the Committee instructed officials to inquire into those matters and take the necessary action.A group of officials, including Secretary to the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs (Mrs.) W.M.D.T. Wickramasinghe, also attended the Committee meeting.
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