By The Pulseline News Desk
Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya has called for urgent measures to strengthen Sri Lanka’s inclusive education system, highlighting shortages of therapists and medical professionals as key barriers to ensuring the physical and mental well-being of children with disabilities.
The Prime Minister has made the remarks during a visit to the National Institute of Special and Inclusive Education, Shishyodaya, in Veniwelkola, where she reviewed the institution’s facilities, services and challenges faced by children and staff.
She has stressed that children with disabilities remain particularly vulnerable and require stronger protection from risks that could affect their development and well-being.
According to the Prime Minister, safeguarding these children cannot be limited to institutions providing special education. Greater awareness must also be created among parents, teachers and society as a whole to protect children from negative influences and create an environment conducive to their physical, emotional and social development.
A major concern raised during the visit was the need to improve the quality and effectiveness of inclusive education at Shishyodaya.
The institution, established in 2019, was set up outside the basic standards and planning framework associated with inclusive education. The Prime Minister has said it was therefore necessary to transform the institute into one that provides quality education while properly fulfilling the objectives of inclusive learning.
She has proposed the appointment of a special committee to examine the institution’s existing situation and make recommendations for its future development.
The Prime Minister has also drawn attention to shortages of therapists and clinical service providers, which continue to affect the delivery of essential services to children with disabilities.
She has said discussions would be held with the Ministry of Health to identify practical solutions to the shortage and strengthen the availability of specialised services.
The need to properly maintain equipment and buildings at the institution was also highlighted. The Prime Minister has stressed that funds already allocated for such purposes should be used effectively to ensure that children and staff have access to a safe and functional environment.
“Finding sustainable solutions is essential, but immediate interventions must also be made to address issues that can be resolved without delay,” she has said.
The welfare of teachers and other staff members was also discussed during the visit, with the Prime Minister emphasising that those responsible for supporting children with disabilities must themselves receive adequate institutional support.
The visit comes amid growing recognition that inclusive education requires more than simply providing access to classrooms. Effective inclusion depends on trained teachers, specialised therapeutic and medical services, appropriate infrastructure and a supportive social environment.
The Prime Minister’s call for both immediate interventions and longer-term reforms indicates that the Government intends to address these issues on two fronts — resolving practical shortcomings that can be dealt with immediately while developing a more sustainable framework for inclusive education.
The proposed special committee could therefore play an important role in determining how Shishyodaya is developed and whether its model can better reflect the broader objectives of inclusive education in Sri Lanka.
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