Harini’s future as Education Minister

Prime Minister cum Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education Minister Dr. Harini Amasuriya has again found herself in the firing line over the embarrassing incident associated with the new English Language textbook for Grade 6 school students as well as various slipups regarding the education reforms process.

The Opposition has begun the process of collecting signatures to present a no-confidence motion against the premier while leader of the National Freedom Front and former MP Wimal Weerawansa is currently staging a Satyagraha in front of the Education Ministry demanding the resignation of Harini from the education portfolio.

The crux of the controversy revolves around the Grade 6 English Language textbook which includes an inappropriate reference to a website which functions as a social networking and adult dating platform, primarily used by gay, queer, and kink-oriented men to meet, chat, and connect with others online apart from containing explicit sexual material and age-restricted themes.

In the aftermath of the appalling incident, the academic-turned politician faced a barrage of criticism. Some of the condemnations, however, descended into highly nasty and crude personalised insults that contravened the norms of decency and civility. Unfortunately, the premier instead of genuinely apologising for the serious blunder, which would have been committed by the officials attached to the National Institute of Education, was attempting to find excuses for a premeditated action that could have caused grave implications to the children of this land had the contentious textbooks been distributed among school students. Including the link of a gay dating platform in a textbook used by schoolchildren who have not even reached adolescence has an adverse impact on the evolution and development of children besides distorting their mindsets with unwarranted and harmful ideas.

It was quite disappointing to see a learned academic like Harini stating to Asgiriya Mahanayake Thero that although the name of the controversial website was included in the book, the students were not specifically instructed to access the website. Her aforesaid action did not represent that she had any concern towards the wellbeing of the children as the second citizen of the country. Meanwhile, some of her detractors took the opportunity to relate the inclusion of the gay dating platform in the controversial publication with her quite public and open sympathy towards the LGBT movement of Sri Lanka.

A critical portfolio like education deserves a full-time minister and the Government made a serious miscalculation by assigning the subject of education, particularly school education, to the individual who is holding the premiership. The whole incident and the unacceptable response of the former Open University academic have raised question marks about her capacity to lead a highly demanding ministry like education apart from challenging the tenability of her premiership. On numerous occasions, the premier’s conduct and utterances have clearly demonstrated how out of depth she is with the realities of the country’s socio-economic framework. Many have repeatedly questioned her awareness of the intricacies of the socio, political, and economic apparatus prevalent in the State. Once she revealed that she had asked her security officials to reduce the protection provided to her, only to be told by them that Sri Lanka is neither Switzerland nor Sweden.

Consequent to the onslaught of verbal attacks faced by the Premier, a selected group of academics, some of whom had been professional colleagues of Harini, issued a strong statement denouncing those who found fault with the former pupil of Bishop’s College and opined that much of the condemnation was driven by misogynistic jealousy as the premier is a respected woman political leader.

Playing the gender card whenever confronted with criticism is a typical ploy adopted by feminist politicians, and Harini and her loyalists have frequently resorted to it. Acclaimed women political leaders in the past like Margaret Thatcher and Angela Merkel thrived as political leaders as they succeeded on their own merits without excessively identifying with their gender. The Prime Minister’s repeated gaffes would no doubt be a huge political headache to the Government.