Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya yesterday stressed that distinctions between national and provincial schools must be eliminated to ensure that every child in the country has equal access to quality education.
She made these remarks while addressing the Northern Province awards ceremony held at the Nelum Piyasa premises in Kilinochchi to honour top performers of the 2023 and 2024 GCE Advanced Level examinations under the President’s Fund.
The Prime Minister said all schools across the Northern Province—and the country as a whole—should be treated equally, noting that every child studying in those institutions belongs to the nation. She emphasised that teacher appointments, transfers and officer placements should not be concentrated in Jaffna alone, but distributed equitably among districts such as Vavuniya, Mannar, Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi.
Dr. Amarasuriya said the programme to honour outstanding Advanced Level achievers commenced in the Jaffna District and concluded with the final provincial-level ceremony focusing on the Northern Province, expressing satisfaction that the concluding event highlighted educational excellence in the region
She described the President’s Fund as a public resource that must be used for the benefit of the people and praised the government’s efforts to bring the Fund closer to the public, particularly in supporting education.
Addressing the students, the Prime Minister said they were highly talented and expressed confidence that many would enter universities and later return to serve the Northern Province. She noted that in a few years, these students would play a key role in shaping decisions related to the region’s development, adding that the government’s current interventions are guided by that long-term vision.
Several dignitaries, including the Speaker, Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, provincial officials, parents and students, participated in the event.
