Under the current government, there will be no reduction or removal of religious education or aesthetic subjects in any way, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya has affirmed.
She made this statement during a discussion held with members of the Buddhist Affairs Task Force.
The discussion also covered the content included in the textbook for Buddhism under the new curriculum.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister explained that, as part of the education reforms scheduled to be implemented in 2026, the first lesson of the first module in Grade 6 will aim to provide all students with a basic understanding of all major religions.
She further stated that, following this introduction, students will be given the opportunity to study their own respective religions in depth.
Attention was also drawn to the current shortage of teachers for Buddhism in schools. The Prime Minister noted that steps will be taken to address this issue through a systematic plan for recruiting and deploying teachers to ensure adequate staffing.
