Online education deemed unsuitable for children aged 3–5: Ministry
March 14, 2026 03:11 pm
The Ministry of Women and Child Affairs has formally advised parents against permitting children aged between 3 to 5 years from engaging in online education programs.
Online teaching programmes conducted via platforms such as Zoom for children aged between three and five are contrary to the principles of educational psychology and child development, the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs has stated.
Issuing a statement, the Ministry said several concerns have arisen regarding online seminars currently being conducted targeting preschool and early primary school children.
According to educational psychology, the learning process of children between the ages of three and five should take place in an activity-based environment that includes social interaction, it said.
The Ministry noted that excessive screen exposure at this stage of development can negatively affect children in several ways.
It warned that screen-based learning may hinder the development of social skills, reduce a child’s attention span, and obstruct the development of creative thinking.
The Ministry further stated that, in accordance with the child development policies of the Government of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, early childhood development should involve children actively interacting with their surrounding environment.
It emphasized that excessive exposure of young children to technological devices can be harmful to their mental and physical health, particularly affecting vision and brain development.
Therefore, the Ministry does not approve the conduct of online classes for children within this age group.
The Ministry also informed parents that such online seminars, often organized for commercial purposes, do not enhance children’s educational quality and may instead hinder their natural development.
Accordingly, parents have been advised to consider their children’s mental well-being and refrain from enrolling them in such activities.
The Ministry further reminded parents that a child’s best teacher is the environment and real-life experiences, not a digital screen.
