Professor Venerable Pathegama Gnanissara Thero has criticized the government’s new education reforms, stating that they are harming children and undermining Sri Lanka’s cultural and religious values.
Ven. Gnanissara Thero made these remarks at the Pannipitiya Devram Vihara Auditorium during the launch of two children’s books by Venerable Denagama Sri Dhamma Rakkhitha Thero.
The Thero claimed that recent proposals to reform children’s education, presented as ways to make learning more “active,” were deeply troubling.
He alleged the reforms attempt to introduce gender-based lifestyles to very young children, likening it to promoting marriage at an age when a child is too young to comprehend such concepts.
He further criticized the process of reform itself, saying it was “fundamentally wrong.”
He claimed the government lacks religious grounding and that those responsible for shaping education policy “do not understand religious values,” warning that the reforms clash with the nation’s cultural and spiritual foundations.
He added that while secular individuals might dismiss such concerns, Sri Lanka is not a secular country, and therefore the reforms risk undermining traditional social and religious norms.
Expressing regret over recent voting choices, the Thero said, “Even if we vote with the feeling that children should have a country, we now think that it is stupid,” reflecting frustration with how education reforms are being implemented.
Leave a comment