A moment of sisterhood

Tuesday, 6 January 2026 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Controversy rages about the whodunnit of the entry of a link to a search site for gay and lesbian partners in an English textbook for 6th graders. Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Ministry Secretary Nalaka Kaluwewa has reported the matter to the Criminal Investigation Department for an investigation. So far, one head has rolled. The National Institute of Education Director General Manjula Vidanapathirana, has stepped down until the outcome of the investigation. The Director General has been magnanimous to accept that the onus was on her to check the publication.

A crescendo of voices from moralists to members of the Opposition are calling for Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya to step down. The Prime Minister is the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education. Some of these demands are reasoned and matter of fact. Others are rude and crude at best and down-right vulgar and derogatory at worst. The spectrum of the lingo which is being used to malign the Prime Minister has become an abomination.

The vitriol the Prime Minister is being subjected to is driving women to stand in solidarity with her irrespective of their political allegiances. It is almost a moment of national sisterhood. Theirs is also a stance for decency and a society which respects it. Sri Lanka is largely a patriarchal society. It is a moot point whether a man wearing the Prime Minister’s shoes would have had to endure similar slurs.

Reform of Sri Lanka’s education system has been a long time in the making. Successive governments paid lip service to it but did not have the political will to implement the changes. The current Government, whose second citizen is a woman, has taken on the challenge replete with teething issues. The resistance to reform has come from many quarters. It has also become a political hot potato for the Opposition to leverage to launch themselves back into government.

A progressive education system is needed to position Sri Lanka to respond to evolving global needs. It is also required to nurture the country’s future generations from which will rise her future leaders who will have to be equipped with the capacity to envision a better Sri Lanka. Perhaps Sri Lanka’s archaic education system has been its own nemesis. Reportedly, one third of the last parliament had only an ordinary level qualification. Sri Lanka is often lauded for her high literacy rate but how does this translate into action? A mere ability to read and write should not be the only parameters for literacy.

A forward-looking education system will not cringe at the inclusion of sex education in it. It is not something to be prudish about. The Government must find a way to navigate local sensitivities through engagement with local communities, parents and teachers and the clergy. A mature Opposition will come together with the Government and support it to pursue what is good for the country.