A blistering political critique reignites the education reform debate, accusing the government of secrecy, ideological agendas, and dismantling the foundations of Sri Lanka’s education system.
Party leader and lawyer Udaya Gammanpila made these remarks at a Pivithuru Hela Urumaya media conference today, delivering a sharp and uncompromising attack on the government’s education reform programme.
He said the public conversation around education reforms has been reduced to controversy over a single English module in a Grade Six textbook. According to him, this represents only the visible tip of a much deeper problem. He claimed the entire education reform process is in disarray and warned that the values of patriotism, discipline, and moral responsibility traditionally associated with Sri Lankan education are being steadily eroded. Gammanpila described the reforms as a Trojan horse in a broader conspiracy to undermine the Sri Lankan state, calling it a destructive project led by the Prime Minister alongside what he described as an NGO network. He alleged that the Prime Minister continues to act as though she is heading the NEST Sri Lanka NGO rather than serving as the Minister of Education.
He stressed that education reforms are a major national undertaking that must be shaped through wide and inclusive social dialogue. Referring to Professor Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri, former chairman of the Compass Education Committee, Gammanpila said even key academics had indicated they were unaware of the full reform process. He questioned how such reforms could proceed if scholars, educationists, teachers, and even those linked to Compass were not properly informed. Using a metaphor, he said that although the mother who gave birth to the education reform child, Harini Amarasuriya, became Prime Minister, the reform itself has become an illegitimate child that does not know who the father is.
Gammanpila rejected the idea that the crisis could be resolved by removing two pages from the English textbook or by promoting recycling narratives on social media. While agreeing that the pages should be removed, he insisted that tearing out paper alone would not solve the issue. He said Harini Amarasuriya must resign as Minister of Education, but added that resignation alone would also be insufficient. In his view, the entire education reform programme must be dismantled.
He concluded by saying education lays the foundation for the nation’s future and reminded that Sri Lankan education is respected globally. He argued that the government lacks the experience, knowledge, and intelligence required for such reforms, and urged the Compass government to immediately abandon the process, claiming this would be the one decision that could restore public confidence.
