The Cabinet has approved the continuation of Sri Lanka’s education reform programme, with the new curriculum extending to Grades 2 and 6 in 2027 while the reforms introduced for Grade 1 this year continue.

The approval followed a proposal presented by Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya in her capacity as Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, NewsFirst reported.

The decision rests on three documents: a concept paper prepared by the National Education Commission, the National Curriculum Framework approved by the National Steering Committee for New Education Reforms, and the School-Based Evaluation and Assessment Guidelines, according to Daily Mirror.

How the timeline shifted

The National Curriculum Framework was initiated by the National Institute of Education (NIE) in 2019 and approved by Cabinet in March 2023.

After the change of government in 2024, it was decided to introduce the framework initially to Grades 1 and 6 in 2026, with adjustments to align it with the new administration’s education policies. The introduction of vocational subjects from Grade 10 onwards was also proposed.

A concept paper titled “Transformational Change in General Education in Sri Lanka” went to the Parliamentary Sub-Committee on Education Reforms in October 2025.

A Cabinet decision in January 2026 postponed the Grade 6 reforms to 2027, while Grade 1 proceeded as planned this year. Tuesday’s decision confirms that deferred Grade 6 rollout and adds Grade 2 alongside it.

Where preparations stand

The National Education Commission has reviewed and redrafted the concept paper. The revised document goes to the National Steering Committee and its sub-committees covering five areas: curriculum reform, human resource development, education administration and infrastructure, evaluation and assessment, and public awareness.

The revised framework cleared the NIE’s Academic Affairs Board and Institutional Council before the National Steering Committee approved it on 13 August 2026.

Activity books and teacher guides covering all three terms are being prepared for Grades 1 and 2 for 2027, with modules and teacher guides for Grade 6. The NIE has trained master trainers for primary and secondary subjects, and provincial-level teacher training plans have been finalised.

Note on the record

The two accounts differ slightly on the framework’s origin: Daily Mirror dates the NIE’s work to 2019 with Cabinet approval in March 2023, while NewsFirst describes the framework as “initially developed by the NIE in 2023.” NewsFirst also refers to the NIE’s “Governing Council” where Daily Mirror says “Institutional Council.”

LankaNewz previously reported the Prime Minister’s May statement that Grade 6 reforms would begin in January 2027.

Update, September 30: the official minute settles the dates

The government has published the text of the decisions taken at the 28 September Cabinet meeting. The education reform item is the first of them, and it resolves the discrepancy flagged above in the Daily Mirror’s favour.

The minute states that the National Curriculum Framework “was initiated by the National Institute of Education in 2019” and that approval was granted “at the cabinet meeting held on 01-03-2023.” NewsFirst’s dating of the framework’s development to 2023 is the error.

The minute also supplies exact dates where the news reports gave months:

StepDate
NIE begins work on the framework2019
Cabinet approves framework and implementation method1 March 2023
Concept paper to Parliamentary Sub-Committee on Education Reforms22 October 2025
Cabinet postpones Grade 6 reforms to 202713 January 2026
National Steering Committee established by Cabinet decision23 March 2026
Steering Committee concurs in the revised framework13 August 2026
Cabinet approves Grade 2 and Grade 6 rollout for 202728 September 2026

Two further points appear in the minute that neither newsroom carried. The 2024 change of government found NIE modules already prepared for Grades 1, 6 and 10, and the plan at that point was to implement the framework for Grades 1 and 6 in 2026 with adjustments to the incoming administration’s policies. The minute also records the intention to introduce vocational subjects from Grade 10 onwards, which is not part of the 2027 rollout but sits in the same reform programme.

Sources