Education Council Bill to be drafted within a year, PM says

Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya told Parliament on Wednesday that a Bill to set up an Education Council should be drafted within one year.

She said Cabinet approved the drafting on 25 August 2026, and the report of an expert committee is being sent to the Legal Draftsman. She was replying to a question from Opposition MP Padmasiri Bandara.

The Council would register, regulate and supervise education professionals at pre-school, primary and secondary levels, she said. It would also set common qualifications for recruitment and promotion.

For teachers, a licensing and certification system is planned. Licences would go only to those who meet competency standards and pass assessments, Amarasuriya said.

The Council would not regulate public or non-state higher education institutions, or assess their academic programmes.

The committee report goes next to the Legal Draftsman for the Bill to be prepared.