Education Ministry charts new course for education to drive inclusive economic growth

Opening dialogue of Education Ministry, Higher Education and Vocational Education Secretary Nalaka Kaluwewe (left) and British Council English and School Education Head Anju Moses

From left: Moderator British Council English and School Education Head Anju Moses, British Council, South Asia, English and School Education Regional Director Sarah Rogerson, Advisor to Western Province Governor Aritha Wickramasinghe, Headstart CTO-Co-Founder Hasitha Dela, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Senior Economist Sanjaya Ariyawansa and Education Ministry Teacher Education Chief Commissioner Iroshi Paranagama 

• Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya announces education reforms under the 2026 National Education Reform Program – focusing on inclusivity, quality, and accessibility
• Says English will be redefined as a tool for opportunity, shifting from exam-based learning to fluency-focused instruction while preserving the need for Tamil and Sinhala
• Plans include expanding English medium schools from 825 to 1,000 and improving bilingual teacher training to build a multilingual and globally competitive workforce
• Notes development schemes for teachers will be overhauled after 16 years to incorporate digital literacy and inclusive pedagogies
• Says a National Task Force on Digital Education will drive tech integration, digital equity, and online safety especially to enhance English learning
• The reforms call for unified action from Government, development partners, and the private sector to create equitable, future-ready education for all Sri Lankan youth

By Janani Kandaramage

Unveiling a transformative vision for the nation’s educational framework, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya yesterday outlined the Ministry of Education’s reform agenda centred on inclusivity, accessibility, and qualityfeaturing structural overhauls, digital infrastructure investment, and equitable language education—with full implementation set for January 2026 under the national education Reform Program.

Delivering the keynote address at the Education Symposium 2025 organised by the British Council Colombo in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, she underscored the pressing need to reimagine English language education – not as a privilege, but as a critical tool aimed at empowering Sri Lankan learners for an increasingly dynamic and innovation-led global economy.

“English must serve as a tool to expand opportunity, not exacerbate inequality,” affirmed the Minister, advocating for a cultural shift that embraces diverse linguistic expressions while ensuring universal access to English education.

Highlighting the key initiatives designed to redefine English language teaching, she discussed the shift from conventional exam-focused learning to active engagement in spoken and written English-enabling educators to foster linguistic confidence in students rather than merely enforcing grammatical precision and pronunciation.

“English medium does not mean that we are diminishing the importance held by our respective native tongues – Tamil and Sinhala. Instead, we are improving our access to resource and information by familiarising ourselves with the English language, crucial for economic progress,” she observed, noting that a major barrier lies in the widespread lack uncertainty in using Standard English. 

Calling for a pragmatic shift toward embracing intelligible and contextually effective English communication over conformity to British pronunciation, she urged for the utilisation of the untapped potential of local post-graduate institutions for English, to ensure fluency and real-world confidence in the language.  In addition, she outlined plans to augment bilingual and English medium instruction across schools, with efforts underway to expand the number of institutions offering English medium education from 825 to 1,000. 

She opined:” This expansion seeks to address the escalating demand for qualified bilingual education teachers by strengthening their linguistic and pedagogical competencies-an essential move in aligning the education workforce with the government’s broader objective of fostering a multilingual, globally competitive citizenry under the 2026 National Education Reform Program.”

Integral to this transformation is a comprehensive overhaul of teacher education programs, long overdue for revitalisation. The Prime Minister lamented the stagnation of teacher training curricula over the past 16 years and pledged robust reforms to equip educators with contemporary pedagogical skills aligned with the new curriculum. She stressed the pre-service and in-service teacher training tailored to equip educators with digital literacy and inclusive teaching methodologies, aligning with the National Education Reform Program’s objectives to foster a more equitable and adaptable education system.

The Prime Minister emphasised the role of technology in closing educational gaps and enhancing learning outcomes, while ensuring equitable access to digital tools for all students.

Speaking on the formation of a National Task Force on Digital Education, she stated that the three-year initiative will focus on integrating digital tools into curriculum delivery-strengthening teacher training with comprehensive digital pedagogy and embedding online safety and digital ethics into the broader education framework.

“This effort directly addresses the stark inequalities in access, where some students benefit from seamless connectivity and abundant digital resources, while others struggle without basic infrastructure. By targeting these disparities, the task force aims to promote digital equity across the country, with a particular emphasis on enhancing English language learning in a rapidly evolving, tech-driven educational environment,” she added.

Amidst these ambitious reforms, Amarasuriya also discussed the necessity of nurturing proficiency in Sinhala and Tamil, alongside English, to ensure holistic language competency among learners across all fields.

The symposium reinforced wider stakeholder involvement, urging unified efforts across government, development agencies, and the private sector to champion these educational reforms and secure a brighter future for Sri Lanka’s youth.

- Pix by Ruwan Walpola