The government is fast-tracking legislation to create an Education Council that will implement mandatory registration and professional licensing for teachers and other education sector workers across both public and private institutions.
Sri Lanka's Education Ministry is moving forward with plans to establish a new regulatory body aimed at standardising and monitoring education professionals across the country. According to Education Ministry Secretary Nalaka Kaluwewe, the government has obtained Cabinet approval and instructed the Legal Draftsman to prepare legislation for an Education Council, with the administration prioritising its establishment in the near term.
The proposed Council will oversee a broad range of education workers, including teachers, principals, school advisers, teacher educators, and education administrators. Under the new framework, these professionals would be subject to mandatory registration and professional licensing. The Council's responsibilities are expected to encompass quality assurance, accreditation, and standardisation of professional practices.
Kaluwewe indicated that the regulatory system will apply to both government and private education institutions, signalling an attempt to maintain consistent standards across the entire sector. The initiative also includes plans for a professional rating mechanism intended to facilitate ongoing teacher development and improvement. The push for this regulatory structure follows recommendations made by a committee headed by Senior Professor O.G. Dayaratne and subsequent reviews of the education system. Prime Minister and Education Minister Harini Amarasuriya has championed the Council concept as part of broader efforts to strengthen quality in general education.