Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya has reaffirmed the government's commitment to implementing comprehensive education reforms, emphasising that improvements to school curricula must be accompanied by teacher training, infrastructure development and stronger regional education administration.
Addressing a meeting at the Thirukkovil Regional Education Office today (15), Prime Minister Amarasuriya said the present government was taking steps to strengthen Regional Education Offices to ensure the effective implementation of the new education reforms.
She stressed that successful education reforms depended not only on developing an effective curriculum but also on ensuring that schools had qualified teachers, capable principals, adequate facilities and efficient administrative support, the Office of the Prime Minister said in a statement.
The Prime Minister noted that Regional Education Offices played a crucial role in implementing reforms at the grassroots level but continued to face challenges, including staff shortages and inadequate facilities.
As part of efforts to address these shortcomings, she said recruitment to fill vacancies in Regional Education Offices had commenced in 2026 and would continue.
Prime Minister Amarasuriya also announced that Rs. 90 million had been allocated as the first phase of development assistance to the Thirukkovil Regional Education Office, with further funding expected for subsequent improvements.
Highlighting the digital transformation of the education sector, she said an online administrative system was being developed to streamline operations. Teacher transfers were already being processed through the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS), while plans were underway to incorporate student information into the system.
She added that the government intended to introduce online school-based assessments to reduce teachers' administrative workload and facilitate more effective monitoring by Regional Education Offices.
The Prime Minister further revealed that preparations were underway to introduce the new education reforms for Grade 6 next year, alongside a new assessment system. Regional Education Offices would also be provided with the necessary computers and internet facilities to support the process.
Emphasising that education reforms required the active participation of all stakeholders, she said the transformation could not be achieved through the Ministry of Education alone.
She also urged officials to ensure the effective utilisation of funds allocated to Regional Education Offices under the 2027 Budget, stressing that allocations should be spent on addressing school needs rather than being returned to the Treasury unutilised.
Referring to the performance of the Thirukkovil Regional Education Office, which previously secured fourth place in the island-wide ranking, she challenged officials to work towards making it the best-performing Regional Education Office in the country.
Earlier, the Prime Minister ceremonially opened a newly constructed classroom building at Thirukkovil Vishwa Thulasi Vidyalaya and interacted with students and their parents before visiting the Regional Education Office.
