July 7, 2025 – July 27, 2025 | Vol.15, #27 & 28 | ISSN 3084-9330‘
Photo credits: TODAY NEWS LK
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Key insights
- The narrative on education reforms has evolved from reactive criticism to a more substantive discourse, shaped in part by the government’s recalibrated messaging strategy.
- The Sinhala media response to the reciprocal tariff reveals a contested narrative landscape, where government claims of diplomatic success are increasingly challenged by opposition critiques and economic concerns.
Analysis
The Sinhala media – across print, television and social media platforms (as analysed through Junkipedia) – continued its discussion on education reforms from the previous week.[1]
However, the discourse has since shifted, reflecting deeper concerns about the structure and quality of Sri Lanka’s education system.
This week’s analysis is set out under three headings.
What have been the key developments since last week?
July 17: In response to criticism that history and aesthetics might be removed from the syllabus, the prime minister explained the rationale of the proposed reforms that include history and aesthetics as electives.[2]
July 24: President Anura Kumara Dissanayake addressed parliament members on the proposed education reforms, urging lawmakers to overhaul the country’s education system.[3]
How did the government reshape the narrative?
From losing ground to reclaiming authority over the reform narrative
The media landscape has transitioned from reactive critique to a more substantive discourse around the content of reform initiatives. This shift appears to have been influenced in part by the government’s recalibrated messaging strategy, which emphasises its reformist intent and situates it within broader national development objectives.
Initial media coverage criticised the government for attempting to erase culturally significant subjects such as history and aesthetics, reinforcing perceptions of a reform process seen as ideologically disconnected, opaque and élitist.[4]
However, in the days that followed, the government seems to have taken control of the narrative. Key interventions – particularly by the president and other prominent government figures – shifted the tone and direction of media engagement. Their speeches and clarifications reoriented the conversation, shifting it away from symbolic anxieties over subject removal toward a deeper exploration of the structural objectives of the proposed reforms.
As a result, recent reporting now scrutinises the policy’s underlying goals and its potential to address longstanding systemic challenges in Sri Lanka’s education system, including:
- overreliance on private tuition, which exacerbates inequality;
- a rote learning culture, which undermines creativity and critical thinking; and
- an intensely competitive exam environment, widely regarded as unhealthy for students.
Why did the narrative shift take hold?
Three key reasons for the narrative shift, offering reasonable explanations, showing an ability to empathise and the trust placed in the president, could be discerned from the Sinhala media coverage.
First, the government was able to offer rational and reasoned explanations for the proposed education reforms. For instance, the prime minister directly addressed public concerns about the perceived removal of history and aesthetics from the curriculum.[5] By clarifying the distinction between compulsory and elective subjects the prime minister reframed the debate and countered the narrative that these subjects were being eliminated altogether.
Second, the government was perceived as empathic toward the longstanding concerns of the public about the education system. For instance, the PM emphasised that the reforms were aimed at addressing deep-rooted issues – such as the pressure placed on students, parents and teachers – rather than simply making superficial changes such as updating textbooks.[6] This framing suggested a recognition of systemic problems and helped position the reforms as a response to genuine public needs.
Third, the narrative shift can also be attributed to the trust placed in the president. He has often been portrayed as a leader who emerged “from the masses”, with his simple lifestyle reinforcing the perception that he represents ordinary people.[7] As a result, when he addressed parliament to clarify and defend the education reforms, his words seem to have carried greater weight. His perceived ownership of the reforms, and as someone who understands and represents the concerns of ordinary citizens, has elicited a greater willingness among the public to trust the reforms he endorses.
This episode reflects a broader pattern in the political communication of the government: the president serving as a reputational anchor. As with past incidents, such as questions over former Speaker Asoka Ranwala’s academic credentials, President Dissanayake has frequently intervened to restore public trust. His involvement in this case helped defuse criticism and redirect discourse toward constructive engagement. The recurring dynamic underscores how his personal credibility has become a key asset, enabling the government to navigate discontent and reframe its position through his perceived integrity and public rapport.
[1] The MPA team monitored Facebook profiles, TikTok handles and YouTube channels using Junkipedia for the keywords Harini, education and reforms in Sinhala, from July 14 to 25, 2025.
[2] https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking-news/Three-subjects-made-mandatory-under-new-education-reforms-PM/108-314453, https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking_news/Three-subjects-made-mandatory-under-new-education-reforms-PM/108-314453, https://www.newswire.lk/2025/07/17/pm-responds-to-reports-on-history-subject/ and https://www.adaderana.lk/news.php?nid=110570.
[3] https://www.presidentsoffice.gov.lk/lets-all-unite-to-uplift-the-entire-social-and-economic-fabric-of-our-nation-through-the-proposed-education-reforms/ and https://www.newswire.lk/2025/07/24/president-warns-of-school-dropouts-reveals-damning-figures/.
[4] See MPA Vol.15, #26.
[5] For more information, please see https://www.tiktok.com/@newswirelk/video/7527959313017556232, https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking-news/Three-subjects-made-mandatory-under-new-education-reforms-PM/108-314453, https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking_news/Three-subjects-made-mandatory-under-new-education-reforms-PM/108-314453, https://www.newswire.lk/2025/07/17/pm-responds-to-reports-on-history-subject/, and https://www.adaderana.lk/news.php?nid=110570.
[6] For more information, please see https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking-news/Education-reform-is-not-just-about-introducing-new-textbooks-Minister/108-315290 and https://www.ft.lk/news/Prime-Minister-calls-for-deep-educational-reform-beyond-textbooks/56-779560.
[7] See TMA Vol.14, #38.
To view this week’s news summaries, please click here.
To view this week’s social media data, please click here.
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