The Inter-University Students’ Federation (IUSF) has called on the Sri Lankan government to significantly boost funding for the education sector in the upcoming 2026 national budget, urging it to make education the highest-funded area of public expenditure.
Speaking to the media on Monday (16), IUSF Convenor Madushan Chandrajith stressed the urgent need for investment, proposing that at least 3% of the national budget be allocated to education as an initial step toward the long-standing goal of 6%.
Chandrajith warned that recent cuts to education spending have severely impacted schools, universities, and vocational training institutions.
“We have seen a steady decline in the quality and accessibility of education due to underfunding,” he said, noting that the government’s pledges to improve education financing have fallen short, with only a marginal increase of around 0.1% of GDP compared to previous administrations.
The IUSF has submitted proposals to both the Education and Finance Ministries, outlining key priorities, including increasing the Mahapola Scholarship, resolving persistent hostel shortages in universities, upgrading under-resourced schools, and scrapping the Value Added Tax (VAT) on school supplies.
Chandrajith underscored that the current state of education in Sri Lanka constitutes a “serious crisis” and urged the government to take decisive action in the 2026 budget to protect and strengthen one of the nation’s most vital sectors.
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