Business
Spiraling costs of school closures in Sri Lanka
By Lynn Ockersz
Immense learning loss among the young, the likelihood of increasing school dropouts, the interruption of the school feeding programme and rising mental stress and confusion among children are just a few among the multiple ills that result from prolonged school closures in Sri Lanka, the Gamani Corea Foundation’s (GCF) 13th discussion session was told recently.
The above insights formed part of a comprehensive issues paper that was authored and presented at the session held at the BMICH on January 5th by educationist Dr. Damaris Wikramanayake. The reading and discussion of such issues papers feature on a monthly basis at the Sri Lanka Innovators’ Forum which functions under the aegis of the GCF.
The local education sector consists of four categories, the researcher initially indicated. They are: pre-school education, general education (consisting of primary and secondary education), higher education and vocational and technical education (TVET).
Quoting the ADB Wikramanayake said that the recent pandemic caused 71 weeks of full or ‘partial’ school closures in Sri Lanka. Drawing on UNICEF and UNESCO information she indicated that, ‘The closing of schools for just one day causes a loss of about 25 million learning hours and 1.4 million of teaching hours.’
Wikramanayake identified the most pressing challenges to be overcome in the local school system currently as: ensuring equal access, regular learning assessments, monitoring school atten
dance, evolving monitoring and evaluation procedures, supporting teachers, increasing education budgets and promoting social cohesion.
Referring to the issue of income inequalities among local students the researcher quoting sources said that the poorest quintile of students incurred 57% more losses than the richest quintile.
Other important observations made by Wikramanayake were as follows: ‘To recover learning it is important to get all students back to school and ensure they stay in school.
‘Focused learning in a few subjects like Maths, English or IT that provide a direct link to possible employment might persuade potential dropouts to stay in school. Dropping out of school is sometimes because students are bored and see no connection between school life and “real” life.
‘If students obtained a fail grade in English or Maths, had been absent for more than 20% of school days and faced the possibility of not being promoted, they are most likely to drop out. Intense work on a few select subjects would inevitably help them improve their grade and gain more confidence in themselves.
‘In 2018 Sri Lanka’s expenditure on education was 2.135% of GDP, while India spent 4.364% of GDP, the Maldives 3.912% of GDP and Afghanistan 3.2% of GDP. The highest expenditure in recent years was 2.7% of GDP in 2017. In 2019, expenditure on education was a mere 1.93% of GDP. This rose to 2.4% in 2020, despite the pandemic.’
A most engrossing and wide-ranging discussion followed the presentation of the paper. Some respondents from the public sector, among very many other matters, pointed to the destructive impact on students of the current ‘craze for As and Bs.’ Others pointed to the deleterious impact on the education sector of the present economic crisis and prolonged trade union action, besides highlighting the need for curriculum reform and ‘practical-based education.’ One speaker observed that the local education crisis really began with the Easter Sunday bombings.
Wrapping-up the discussion, Board Director of the GCF, Dr. Harsha Athurupane, besides discussing a range of other topical issues, indicated the need to include STEAM education in the local school curriculum. The ‘A’ in the well-known combination of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths or STEM, stands for Arts. GCF Chairman Dr. Lloyd Fernando wanted the audience to ponder long and deep on the fundamental question: ‘What is education?’
HNB FINANCE PLC has strengthened its Board with the appointment of four Independent Non-Executive Directors, effective September 8, 2026.
The new directors are Renuke Wijayawardhane, Shanti Gnanapragasam, Nabiha Mohamed and Dr. Thisuri Wanniarachchi, who collectively bring extensive experience in financial regulation, banking, risk management, corporate finance, investment strategy, development finance and public policy.
Wijayawardhane, an Attorney-at-Law and capital market professional, retired in July 2025 as Chief Regulatory Officer of the Colombo Stock Exchange after more than 31 years with the Exchange. His experience covers securities regulation, corporate governance, market infrastructure and compliance.
Gnanapragasam has over four decades of banking experience spanning treasury, risk management, credit and trade finance. She currently serves as an Independent Non-Executive Director of Cargills Bank, Wealth Trust and Vision Fund Lanka.
Mohamed is a corporate finance and investment professional who previously served as Lead Transaction Advisor at the State-Owned Enterprise Restructuring Unit of the Ministry of Finance, where she led five divestiture transactions worth over US$600 million.
Dr. Wanniarachchi brings over a decade of experience in development finance, institutional reform and social protection, including work with the World Bank and the Government of Sri Lanka.
Prime Lands Residencies PLC has completed and officially handed over The Palace Gampaha, described as the largest planned gated residential community in Gampaha, to its homeowners.
The development, which commenced construction in 2021, is located two kilometres from Gampaha town and 100 metres from the Colombo-Kandy main road.
Spread across 13.5 acres, The Palace Gampaha comprises 480 two- and three-bedroom apartments in a ground-plus-three-floor development, with prices starting from Rs. 27.5 million.
The project allocates about 80% of its land to landscaped areas and common facilities, while the remaining 20% is used for apartment development. Facilities include a swimming pool, gymnasium, clubhouse, library, community kitchen, laundry, mini-mart and a daycare centre managed by the Lyceum Group.
The fully gated community also incorporates solar power for common areas, underground electricity cabling and a sewage treatment plant with water recycling facilities.
Prime Residencies said all statutory approvals required for the handover had been secured, including certifications from the Condominium Management Authority and registration of the Condominium Plan and Deed of Declaration.
Prime Group Chairman Premalal Brahmanage said the project reflected the company’s vision of creating large-scale residential communities designed to enhance the quality of life of Sri Lankan families.
The project is the latest addition to Prime Group’s portfolio of more than 70 gated community and apartment developments.
Sri Lanka’s Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC) sector is losing ground despite the expansion of the industry in several regional markets, Sri Lanka Association of NVOCC Agents (SLANA) Chairperson Swabha Wickramasinghe said.
Wickramasinghe, re-elected for a third consecutive term at SLANA’s ninth Annual General Meeting last week said the continued difficulty in collecting Colombo Terminal Handling Charges (THC) as a separate land-based cost was among the key challenges facing the industry.
She said the practice placed Sri Lanka at a competitive disadvantage as principals consider the overall economics of operating through Colombo.
“When Sri Lanka becomes less commercially attractive compared with other regional destinations, the consequences eventually reach our members,” she said.
Wickramasinghe said a committee had been proposed at a recent meeting with the Minister and Deputy Minister to evaluate the THC issue, urging the authorities to expedite its appointment and review.
She also called for an early solution to the problem of uncleared salt containers at the Port of Colombo, which has resulted in delays in releasing empty containers.
With more than 75 NVOCC lines operating in Sri Lanka, she stressed the sector’s importance to regional trade, particularly links with India and China.
Ports Minister Anura Karunathilaka said Sri Lanka should expand regional business while exploring areas such as bunkering, freight forwarding and e-commerce logistics.
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