📈 National Debate: Strategic Education Reforms in Sri Lanka

The current discourse on education reform emphasizes a shift from "quick fixes" to a long-term transformational process. Experts advocate for a model that balances modern needs with the country’s unique cultural and familial value systems. • Strategic Foundation The reform objective centers on the "ABCDE" framework—Attendance, Belongingness, Cleanliness, Discipline, and English—to move away from a rigid, exam-centric system toward a holistic, competency-based model. • Key Sector Shifts • ICT/BPM & Digitalization: Mandatory AI education is proposed for children as young as age six, following global trends (e.g., China), though critics warn of an impractical "digitization of everything" without contextual adaptation. • English-Medium Instruction: A priority is placed on making English-medium education permanent from Grade 6 onwards to address the global "knowledge gateway" gap. • Vocational Studies: Greater emphasis on building foundations in automobile engineering, electronics, and programming to enhance employability. • Critical Challenges • Policy Implementation: Recent "bureaucratic haste" led to the postponement of Grade 6 reforms to 2027. • Economic Context: Budgetary allocation for education remains at approximately 2% of GDP, with concerns over "hidden costs" for low-income families. • Stakeholder Roles: Reformists must bridge the gap between futuristic skills and the established "three platforms" of Sri Lankan society: family, religion, and school.