An activist group has announced plans to launch an indefinite protest outside Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Education on Monday, demanding the withdrawal of proposed education reforms and calling for the resignation of the Education Minister.
The protest, organised by the group Adults Standing for Children, is set to begin at 9.00 a.m. on January 12, according to the group’s convener, former minister and National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa.
Addressing a media briefing in Colombo on Saturday, Weerawansa said parents from across the country have been invited to take part in the continuous sit-in, irrespective of their political affiliations.
He alleged that the proposed reforms fail to ensure equal opportunities for students and could negatively affect their future, claiming the changes are being rushed through without adequate consultation. According to him, the reforms amount to a commercial initiative rather than a genuine attempt to improve the education system.
Weerawansa also expressed concern over the inclusion of website links and YouTube channels in school learning materials, alleging that some of the content is inappropriate for students. He claimed that directing large numbers of schoolchildren to such platforms could generate significant revenue and called for an investigation into who benefits financially.
He stressed that reforms affecting schoolchildren should be introduced cautiously, with pilot projects and wide consultation involving education experts, before being implemented nationwide.
Weerawansa said the protest would continue until the government withdraws the proposed education reforms.
