The Government recently announced plans to implement systemic education reforms scheduled for implementation in 2026, in order to shift from exam-centric education to a module-based system.
With the rollout nearing, stakeholders are pointing to the need for proper transformation in the sector, focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM), digital, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) requirements to suit the evolving needs of the future workforce.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business about education reforms, Education and Higher Education Deputy Minister Dr. Madhura Senevirathna explained how aspects such as STEAM, as well as digital and AI requirements, were to be incorporated into the education system through the curricula proposed recently by the Government.
Accordingly, from the primary level, priority has been given to Elementary Science and Health and Physical Education. In secondary education (Grades 6-9), there are 15 subjects that are also aligned with STEAM, categorised into essential learning, which includes Mathematics, Health and Physical Education, ICT, and Technology for Life; further learning; and transferral skills, which includes digital citizenship.
At the GCE Ordinary Level, there are essential subjects, two electives including technology-related subjects, and two subjects with initial exposure to the Advanced Level, focusing on STEM; humanities and social sciences; and management, entrepreneurship, and vocational skills.
The GCE Advanced Level is categorised into several main streams, including Science, Technology, Management, Entrepreneurship, Humanities and Social Sciences, and a vocational path, with changes still under discussion.
Dr. Senevirathna highlighted that these were only the curriculum changes, adding that many other changes would also take place to suit future workforce requirements.
In light of educational reforms, several concerns have been raised regarding the resources needed for implementation. Addressing these, the Deputy Minister clarified that the necessary resources had been calculated and were now in the process of being developed, especially human resources.
These resources are being disseminated to operational levels in school systems, with initial phases already carried out for Grade 1 and Grade 6. He also highlighted that stakeholder consultation had been conducted, especially with teachers, and that discussions were open for opinions even at present.
An urgent need
Meanwhile, Ceylon Principals’ Union (CPU) Secretary Piyasiri Fernando emphasised the need to properly implement STEAM education and ensure the education system evolved with technology in the digital era. He also noted that the request for transformative education reforms to suit future workforce requirements and global trends had been made several years ago, but had been delayed.
Fernando further pointed to the need to align innovation with the education system and to adopt a student-centric modular education system instead of the teacher-centric method widely used in many schools. Additionally, he opined that the English language should be effectively taught to students from Grade 1 onwards.
“We have had several discussions with the Ministry of Education in favour of this. It is absolutely necessary to implement the reforms in 2026, including STEAM education and technology-based learning. It is already late and therefore should not be further delayed,” he said, noting: “Those who oppose the reforms claim there is a lack of technology resources and facilities across the entire school system.”
However, Fernando noted that the remote online learning system, which had been highly beneficial during the Covid-19 era, could be developed to fit these reform requirements, especially since most children had access to electronic devices.
According to Fernando, the reforms have been discussed in consultation with stakeholders in the education system, with many involved in the process and advocating for it since 2018. He therefore stressed the need to implement the process starting next year without further delay.
Fitting future workforce requirements
Educational reforms have been identified as necessary by many stakeholders to suit future workforce requirements, especially in a digital and AI era.
The World Economic Forum ‘Future of Jobs Report 2025’ demonstrates that technological developments are among the priorities in driving transformation in the global labour market, reshaping both jobs and required skills.
Transformation includes broadening digital access as with the highest value, meaning that over 60% of employers surveyed expect broadening digital access to transform their business more than any other trend.
The report highlights that growing digital access is a critical enabler for new technologies to transform labour markets. Among these technology trends driving business transformation in the 2025-2030 period are AI and information processing technologies, where Generative AI (GenAI), in particular, has witnessed a rapid surge in both investment and adoption across various sectors.
The other trends include robots and autonomous systems; energy generation, storage, and distribution; new materials and composites; semiconductors and computing technologies; sensing, laser, and optical technologies; quantum and encryption; biotechnology and gene technologies; and satellites and space technologies.
The report states that since the release of ChatGPT in November 2022, investment flows into AI have increased nearly eightfold. Thus, demand for AI skills has accelerated globally, with India and the United States leading in enrolment numbers.
Addressing the industry perspective, digital transformation expert Asela Waidyalankara stated that while the report was primarily aimed at developed countries, there was a cumulative knock-on effect.
“When conducting reforms, this specific report should be utilised as it can help outline what the output should be in 2030. The question that needs to be raised is whether Sri Lanka is aligning with these expectations and capturing the changes that are to happen. We have already witnessed how AI as a technology is disrupting many industries and education, but are we re-examining how we teach to fit these workforce requirements?” he questioned.
The report also states that 39% of workers’ core skills will change by 2030 (although the extent is not uniform across economies and industries), representing a significant ongoing skill disruption.
The top 15 core skills in 2025 include analytical thinking; resilience, flexibility, and agility; leadership and social influence; creative thinking; motivation and self-awareness; technological literacy; empathy and active listening; curiosity and lifelong learning; talent management; service orientation and customer service; AI and big data; systems thinking; resource management and operations; dependability and attention to detail; and quality control.
Waidyalankara noted that the current Sri Lankan education system, which was mainly based on rote memorisation and regurgitation, needed to change, while also acknowledging that some reforms were being carried out.
According to him, these are the skills required by the existing industry as well, especially since a notable portion of work will be automated by 2030, a process that is already in progress. Thus, the workforce requires people with these skills to suit the changing roles in the job market.
“The Sri Lankan education system must match these expectations and requirements of the industry. Education policy planning needs to focus on emerging technologies, especially AI literacy, and how they will transform and disrupt the sector and industries, ensuring that graduates and other people align with this. Many countries have already initiated these processes and this is no longer negotiable,” he added
AI literacy necessary in school curriculum
Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, National AI Advisory Committee Chairman and Dialog Axiata Group Chief Analytics and AI Officer Dr. Romesh Ranawana said that similar to digital skills, which were now essential for any job, AI skills would be crucial for the future workforce, adding that AI fluency would therefore be necessary moving forward.
“Just as schools teach digital literacy as part of the core curriculum, AI should have a similar focus. Many developed countries, including the US, China, and the UAE, have made it mandatory from a young age. In Sri Lanka, there is no such programme yet.
“While a pilot programme was initiated with the establishment of AI clubs, it takes time to change the curriculum. However, this programme has not been advanced and it is urgent to implement AI education in schools to ensure students are updated with global trends and have employability,” he stressed.
Need for an interdisciplinary approach
Meanwhile, LIRNEasia Team Lead – Data, Algorithms, and Policy Merl Chandana stated that since the biggest problems of the 21st century, such as climate change and AI disruptions, were complex, requiring combining knowledge, insights, and skills from various disciplines, a comprehensive approach to STEAM would equip students with the necessary skills.
For instance, he noted that software engineers needed to understand some social sciences and humanities, and vice versa, to achieve a certain balance. He opined that thinking about real-life problems and translating them into curriculum redesign, with a focus on the interdisciplinary nature of the current era, was extremely important.
“This does not mean that everyone should receive a surface-level understanding of all disciplines. Domain expertise and specialisation are required, but an effective level of exposure to other domains to allow for better collaboration skills are also necessary, since siloed approaches are harming Sri Lanka,” he said.
Speaking on the digital and AI requirements of the future workforce, Chandana highlighted that AI in education was tremendously important. However, he noted that current reforms lacked visibility regarding these aspects, which he described as concerning.
He positively acknowledged initiatives such as the AI clubs project, which equips students with practical skills by building projects, as well as the pilot project to introduce AI into the Grade 8 curriculum. However, he noted that stakeholders were uncertain if a comprehensive, systematic effort was being made to address the various touchpoints of AI and how students should be prepared, due to a lack of visibility regarding how AI was being factored in.
“If AI is to be introduced, multiple layers need focus. Basic awareness of AI and being productive with it are important for everyone, regardless of their field. Ensuring that this level of knowledge is transmitted to all is one requirement. At the same time, everyone should be made aware of the risks and drawbacks of AI, including ethical reflection, critical thinking, and digital literacy components,” he added.
Considering the future workforce requirements, he further emphasised that it would be necessary to have a pool of talent with technical skills, including in AI, across school, university, and vocational education, as there would be no area in the labour force that AI would not affect.
Chandana expressed the belief that a genuine conversation about how Sri Lanka should prepare to face the digital and AI era should happen in a visible manner.
Focusing on fundamentals
The Sunday Morning Business also spoke to several higher education system stakeholders regarding the significance of education reforms to suit future workforce requirements.
Computer Society of Sri Lanka (CSSL) President and University of Colombo School of Computing (UCSC) Senior Lecturer Dr. Ajantha Athukorala noted the need to properly utilise STEAM while looking into ways to promote better innovation in Sri Lanka to keep pace with the rest of the world.
He also highlighted the need to develop STEAM skills, as well as other parameters such as etiquette and discipline, from a very early age using a streamlined, holistic approach across the pipeline.
Addressing where Sri Lankan education was headed in a digital and AI era, Dr. Athukorala acknowledged the Government’s attempts to change the system while pointing out the importance of prompt implementation through proper stakeholder consultation. Furthermore, on the computing side, he emphasised the need to first focus on fundamentals, be it in STEAM or any other subject, introducing it as a step-by-step process.
Meanwhile, University of Moratuwa Faculty of Engineering Department of Electronic and Telecommunication Engineering Senior Lecturer Dr. Ranga Rodrigo noted that the two primary reasons for people requiring a transformation in the education system were the heavy workload that children must endure to succeed in the three key exams, as well as the tendency to attribute societal problems seen in developing Sri Lanka (transportation chaos, lower income, living cost, overcrowded Government hospitals, etc.) to the deficiencies in the education system.
“People may attribute the unemployment rate to problems in the education system. However, when we examine development indicators like child mortality and mobile penetration, Sri Lanka performs exceptionally well, nearly on a par with developed countries. These achievements stem from the country’s knowledgeable medical professionals and resourceful, forward-thinking engineers, all products of the current education system,” he said.
Accordingly, Dr. Rodrigo noted that when analysed carefully, it revealed that the education system had become a scapegoat for the consequences of a disorganised economy. However, he highlighted that this did not mean that improvements were not necessary in the education system.
“Since the performance of students is, in general, only as good as the quality of the teachers, even if Sri Lanka adopts so-called proven educational systems from other countries, the 250,000 teachers may struggle to implement them effectively. Teacher training remains a challenge.
“Project-Based Learning (PBL), done without tampering with the strengths that we already have in the system, will be beneficial as it promotes critical thinking and collaboration. My experience at the university, working with a batch of 100 or so students, was positive. However, PBL is resource-intensive, requiring significant investment in both human and physical resources.”
He noted that the existing resource imbalance, partially ironed out with the district quota and advanced tuition-class system, would destroy any PBL attempt and aggravate the imbalance. In view of this, he highlighted that while improvements in strengthening human resources and project-based learning were essential and had high promise to deliver, they were also expensive.
Further, in terms of the AI-driven polarisation of the job market, Dr. Rodrigo said that Sri Lanka must focus on three key strategies. These include educating children about AI applications (because contributing to AI development itself requires specialised knowledge) and strengthening students’ fundamentals in mathematics, science, and programming, where Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT are used under supervision until students develop strong foundational skills.
Thirdly, he added that Sri Lankan research must gain visibility in top global forums, such as the Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems, and IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence.
“A strong presence in these forums will demonstrate Sri Lanka’s readiness for AI innovation. But achieving this requires strengthening AI research at our universities. By prioritising AI education, strong foundational skills, and global research visibility, Sri Lanka can establish itself as a competitive player in the AI-driven global economy,” he said.
Imperative for a problem-solving-based education
Technologically Re-Awakening Culture of Excellence (TRACE) Senior Vice President and Board of Directors Chair Dr. Sankalpa Gamwarige noted that STEAM education should be all about training students to solve problems, transforming the traditional exam-oriented, memorisation-based education to a problem-solving-based education in the AI era.
“In STEAM, it is necessary to focus on how students consume the subject matter. Most of the time, teachers in the exam-oriented model are mainly engaged in content generation, delivery, and examinations. However, other important elements such as coaching and mentoring to inspire and ensure behavioural changes are largely ignored,” he noted.
He noted that, while in the past, the Sri Lankan education system had largely trained people for white-collar roles that required the memorisation of knowledge, this entire system was now different, as people were now surrounded by massive data lakes. Hence, he explained that the role of the white-collar human agent was now largely replaced or augmented by digital systems and AI agents.
Hence, according to Dr. Gamwarige, the education system has not adequately created a workforce that can identify, analyse, and fix problems. Instead, this experience is largely gained in the industry. Thus, with the disruption of lower-level, repetitive, white-collar roles in this AI era, he believes it is necessary to transform the education system into a high-level, skill-based, and problem-solving-based system.