The Opposition’s move to initiate a No-Confidence Motion against Minister of Education, PM Harini Amarasuriya, marks a significant moment for a Government that promised competence, integrity, and a clean break from the political failures of the past. Education, more than any other portfolio, demands clarity, credibility, and accountability. What has unfolded over recent weeks suggests a troubling deficit in all three.
The motion, signed at the Opposition Leader’s Office under the leadership of Sajith Premadasa, is rooted in a growing list of concerns surrounding the Government’s education reforms. These include errors in subject content, questionable material deemed inappropriate for students, and what critics describe as a failure to respond responsibly once these flaws were exposed. For parents, teachers and students alike, these are not abstract policy debates. They directly affect the learning and wellbeing of children across the country.
The printing error in the Grade 6 English module has become emblematic of this broader failure. It is, in many ways, a litmus test for the National People’s Power Government. Mistakes can happen in any system. What defines leadership is how swiftly and transparently those mistakes are acknowledged and corrected. Instead, the public has witnessed deflection, confusion and an apparent reluctance to accept responsibility at the highest level.
This confusion was only deepened by the special media briefing on education reforms held at the Department of Government Information on Sunday, 4 January. It was an opportunity for the Government to reassure the Nation, to explain the rationale behind reforms, and to demonstrate command over a sensitive and vital subject. Yet the briefing raised more questions than it answered.
Most striking was the role played by Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, who appeared to take centre stage, often responding on behalf of the Prime Minister. To many observers, this was not merely unusual but deeply unsettling. The Prime Minister is the second citizen of the country and simultaneously holds the crucial portfolio of Minister of Education. In any system that values accountability, she should have been the focal point of that briefing, answering questions, clarifying errors and outlining corrective measures.
Instead, the optics suggested a displacement of authority. Whether intentional or not, the impression created was that a senior JVP figure was stepping in, to manage a crisis that properly belonged to the Prime Minister. This has inevitably fuelled speculation about internal dynamics within the ruling coalition.
Even during the general election held just over a year ago, commentators noted potential mismatches between the traditional JVP hierarchy and the newly formed NPP leadership structure. The alliance was presented as a unified front, but critics warned that ideological and organisational tensions could surface once in power. The events of this press conference have revived those concerns. Was this an isolated incident driven by circumstance, or was it a visible crack in the façade of unity?
The question is not merely one of party politics. It goes to the heart of governance. When controversies arise in a portfolio as critical as education, the public has the right to hear directly from the Minister in charge. Accountability cannot be outsourced, shared ambiguously, or blurred by political convenience.
Was Vijitha Herath sending a message to the public by appearing at the briefing and answering questions on behalf of the Prime Minister? If so, it is one that demands clarity. Was it a sign of internal mistrust, an attempt at damage control, or an assertion of influence by the JVP within the NPP-led administration? Silence on this will only deepen public unease.
The No-Confidence Motion is therefore about more than a textbook error or a flawed reform. It is about whether this Government understands the weight of responsibility it carries. Education shapes the next generation. It cannot be treated as an experimental ground for poorly vetted ideas or as collateral damage in internal power struggles.
The Government still has an opportunity to respond with maturity. That begins with the Prime Minister, as Minister of Education, stepping forward to address the Nation directly, acknowledging failures where they exist, and committing to transparent corrective action. Anything less will reinforce the perception that this administration is struggling not just with policy, but with the very fundamentals of leadership and accountability.
For a Government that rose on the promise of being different, this is a moment of reckoning. The Nation is watching.