Over the past two years, approximately 35,000 schoolchildren have been given the opportunity to visit various educational landmarks around Colombo. These include the President’s House, the Presidential Secretariat in the Old Parliament Building, Harbour City, the Central Bank, the Parliament, and the Lotus Tower.

This unprecedented initiative was launched under the directives of President Ranil Wickremesinghe. It was guided by the Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake, and led by the Tri-Force Security Coordination Office of the Presidential secretariat. The program was a collaborative effort involving the Parliament of Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Education, and the National Youth Services Council.

During this educational field trip, students were able to view documentaries and artefacts that highlight significant milestones in Sri Lanka’s democratic history. They also had the unique opportunity to interact with the President, the Secretary to the President and Chief of the Presidential Staff and Senior Adviser to the President on National Security and Sagala Ratnayaka.

Students from over 160 schools across the island, including those from remote areas far from Colombo, have joined this field trip, and the program is on-going.

Additionally, at the President’s invitation, several sessions of the Student Parliament and Youth Parliament have been held in the Chamber Hall of the Old Parliament, located in the Presidential Secretariat. The goal is to enhance students’ leadership skills by giving them a deeper understanding of the state governance system.

The session was chaired by President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake, with Speaker to the Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana, several Ministers, the Secretary General of the Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera, and Parliament staff also participated.

Lectures were conducted to educate students on the themes of administration and the roles within government.