Education Reforms Undermine Children’s Future: Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe

17-Jan-2026

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Former Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe stated that while Western countries such as Australia and Canada are enacting laws to ban mobile phones for children under 16 due to their harmful effects, Sri Lanka is pursuing education reforms that undermine children’s futures.

Addressing a media briefing at the Sri Lanka Freedom Party office in Colombo, he said that the current education reform is an illusion, lacking any genuine reform. Merely altering syllabi and digitising education does not constitute reform, he said.

He pointed out that the proposed reforms require every student to possess a modern smartphone, while over 3,000 schools in Sri Lanka still lack access to drinking water and electricity, and many families struggle to afford food.

He emphasised that public opposition to these reforms is not driven by hostility towards the government, but by a desire to protect children. He warned that arrogance and stubbornness cannot sustain governance, adding that meaningful reform requires public consultation and humility.