An activist group announced plans to launch an indefinite protest outside Sri Lanka’s Education Ministry on Monday, demanding the withdrawal of new education reforms and calling for the resignation of the education minister.
The protest, organized by the group “Adults Standing for Children,” is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Jan. 12, according to the group’s convener, former minister and National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa.
Speaking at a news conference in Colombo on Saturday, Weerawansa said parents from across the country are invited to join the continuous sit-in, regardless of political affiliation.
He alleged that the proposed education reforms fail to provide fair opportunities for children and instead introduce measures that could harm students’ futures. The reforms, he claimed, were being implemented in a rushed manner without adequate consultation and amounted to a commercial venture rather than a genuine effort to improve education.
Weerawansa also raised concerns over the inclusion of website links and YouTube channels in school modules, alleging that some of the content was inappropriate. He claimed that directing large numbers of students to such platforms could generate significant revenue and called for an investigation into who benefits financially.
Education reforms that affect schoolchildren should be introduced with caution, he said, adding that pilot projects and broad consultations with education experts were necessary before nationwide implementation.
Weerawansa said the protest would continue until the government withdraws the new education reforms. (Newswire)
