The Prime Minister and the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, today (20) affirmed that the government’s goal is to transform schools into safe and trustworthy environments where children receive love and care.

Speaking at the inauguration of a new programme, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of fostering a positive psychosocial environment within schools. She noted that all officials within the education system must act with a strong sense of responsibility to achieve this objective.

The initiative, jointly organized by the Ministry of Education and Room to Read Sri Lanka, is aimed at enhancing students’ psychosocial well-being while guiding them towards quality career pathways, the Office of the Prime Minister said in a statement.

During the event, a comprehensive set of guidelines on student counselling and career guidance was also launched. The guidelines include capacity-building modules for counselling teachers, management handbooks and modules focused on developing skills for the modern times.

The programme will also introduce training sessions for counselling teachers, preventive measures to address student-related issues and initiatives to strengthen parental engagement.

Emphasizing the broader role of education, the Prime Minister stated that nurturing responsible citizens remains a core objective, adding that ensuring a safe and supportive school environment is a key responsibility of the government, according to the Office of the Prime Minister.