The Sri Lankan Government entered into a Letter of Exchange with the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) to initiate reforms in the education sector. At a ceremony held in Beijing, Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana signed on behalf of the Government, while CIDCA's Vice President Yang Weiqun represented their agency. This agreement signifies the official launch of the General Education Digital Transformation Project under the China-Aid Program.
The grant's main objective is to build advanced educational infrastructure featuring a state-of-the-art Educational Data Centre, Multimedia Distance Learning and Conference Solution, and a National Streaming Hub. This initiative seeks to elevate teaching and learning experiences, supporting ongoing reforms in the education sector to promote educational equity through digital innovation. Initially, the project will introduce cutting-edge smart classroom solutions with interactive high-definition distance learning capabilities, benefiting 900 classrooms in 500 schools. This proposed grant represents a forward-thinking effort aimed at accelerating the digital evolution of the education sector.
Furthermore, the grant encompasses essential software and technical training facilitated by the Government of the People’s Republic of China. This holistic support aims to guarantee the sustainable and efficient rollout of Sri Lanka's digital education infrastructure. This transformative initiative also highlights the robust bilateral ties between Sri Lanka and China. On June 3rd, the Cabinet of Ministers endorsed five pivotal measures delineated in the Education Administration System to establish a suitable framework for the sector.
Cabinet Co-Spokesman and Minister Bandula Gunawardena stated that these measures align with the National Education Policy Framework 2023-2033, which is guided by the vision of achieving a fully developed Sri Lanka by 2048. The goal is to ensure equitable access and quality education for every student across the country. Minister Gunawardena also mentioned that during the President’s visit to China, the Chinese Government committed to providing a $20 billion loan to consolidate the entire school system into 1,220 school clusters.
