Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has strongly advocated for the constitutional recognition of children's rights, asserting they must be prioritized within Sri Lanka’s framework of fundamental rights. Speaking at a welfare event, Premadasa emphasized that safeguarding the well-being of the younger generation requires a formal, legally binding national commitment to ensure their comprehensive development.
The Opposition Leader made these remarks during a ceremony held at the Kolonnawa Urban Council, where school bags were distributed to 550 children across 11 preschools in the area. Addressing the gathering, Premadasa highlighted that the state must take ultimate accountability in guaranteeing uninterrupted access to quality education, health, nutrition, and safety for all children across the island.
Drawing on medical insights, Premadasa pointed out that pediatric experts agree nearly 90% of a child's brain development occurs within the first five years of life. Despite this critical window, he raised serious concerns over the absence of a unified, structured national early childhood development program in Sri Lanka, noting that separate, fragmented initiatives currently exist across different provinces instead of a cohesive federal system.
In his address, Premadasa also underscored the urgent need to combat child malnutrition, proposing that a midday meal program for the country's estimated 280,000 preschool children be established as a matter of national policy priority. Evoking the legacy of his father, the late President Ranasinghe Premadasa—who first introduced free school uniforms and school lunches in Sri Lanka—the Opposition Leader pledged his party's future commitment to realizing these structural and nutritional goals.
