The Most Venerable Thibbutuwawe Sri Sumangala Maha Thero, Maha Nayaka of Sri Lanka’s Malwatta Chapter, has publicly criticized the group responsible for the country’s ongoing education reforms, saying they appear to lack proper understanding of the process. The Maha Thero made the remarks during a visit by representatives of several opposition parties to the Malwatta Maha Viharaya, where the proposed reforms were discussed.
The monk called for careful correction of existing flaws in the education reform process, emphasizing that Sri Lanka has highly skilled teachers and professors capable of improving the system. He warned against actions that could harm the quality of education, urging authorities to revise controversial modules thoughtfully before implementation.
In response, National People’s Power MP Samanmali Gunasinghe, a key player in the government, strongly defended the reforms, describing opposition criticism of a new Grade 6 curriculum module as a political conspiracy. She accused critics of spreading false propaganda and vowed to educate the country’s female population about the reforms. Gunasinghe also threatened public action, stating that women would take to the streets to protest attempts to sabotage the reforms.
