Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya has denied claims that the government had promised to allocate 6 percent of the country’s GDP to the education sector during its first year in office.
She said the NPP administration had made no such commitment and stressed that meaningful improvements in the education system required policy reforms rather than an immediate surge in funding.
The Prime Minister made these remarks in response to questions raised in Parliament on Tuesday (25) regarding her participation, as a university lecturer, in the 2012 protests that advocated allocating 6 percent of GDP to education.
“We never said we would give 6% in the first year. Some members here have been with us since 2012, calling for education reforms. Even then, we never said 6% of GDP should be given at once,” she said.
PM Amarasuriya said that longstanding structural issues could not be solved through higher budget allocations alone, noting that systemic changes were essential to achieving lasting progress.
She also highlighted upcoming financial commitments, stating that the government has earmarked its highest allocation for education in 2026 at Rs. 7.04 million.
This year’s allocation stands at 2.04 percent, she added.
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