News
Four subjects compulsory for international and private schools
The Government will make it compulsory for international and private schools in Sri Lanka to teach Sinhala, Tamil, religion and local history. “We hope to start this programme by next year. Some international schools will do so from January,” Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena told the Sunday Times. He said he had spoken to principals of many schools and they were willing to comply.
The Cabinet recently approved a recommendation by Minister Gunawardena. This was after ministers referred the proposal to the National Education Commission (NEC). Its Chairman Prof. Lakshman Jayathilake declined to comment on the matter. However, other NEC sources said the Commission had endorsed Minister Gunawardena’s proposal.
Minister Gunawardena said teaching of national languages (Sinhala or Tamil, which the child speaks at home) was being made compulsory after several parents of children attending international or private schools made representations to him. As for Sri Lankan history, he said, even in “international schools in countries like the United States,” teaching history was compulsory.
The minister said that matters relating to the education sector were studied by two different committees. He said legislation would be tabled in Parliament shortly to regularise all private and international schools in the country.