COLOMBO
The inaugural session of the Student Parliament of Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya, Colombo 7 was held under the patronage of the Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees, Hemali Weerasekara, at the college main hall recently (04).
The Acting Secretary General of Parliament Chaminda Kularatne, Election Commissioner General Saman Sri Ratnayake, Director of Legislative Services and Director of Communications (Acting) of Parliament M. Jayalath Perera, Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Mr. Amal Edirisinghe and Principal of Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya (Dr.) J. Sumedha Jayaweera participated as guests on this occasion.
The program was jointly organized by Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya and the Department of Communication of the Parliament of Sri Lanka with the aim of instilling democratic values in school students and providing them with practical experience of the parliamentary system.
Addressing the program, the Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees, Hemali Weerasekara, said that women have a great role to play in making society a progressive place. Therefore, she said that programs such as the Student Parliament provide the necessary guidance right from the school stage. She also emphasized that women’s leadership in fields like politics has become essential, despite numerous challenges. While noting that the representation of women in the current Parliament is higher than in previous ones, she pointed out that it remains the lowest compared to many other countries. Therefore, the Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees expressed hope that future women leaders will emerge from Sirimavo Bandaranaike College.
The Acting Secretary General of Parliament, Mr. Chaminda Kularatne, delivered the keynote address at the program under the theme “Future Leadership and Student Parliament”.
Also addressing the program, the Director Legislative Services and Director Communication (Acting) of Parliament, Mr. M. Jayalath Perera, stated that the experiences gained through the Student Parliament are beneficial for the future leadership and practical life of the children. Also, the Commissioner General of Elections, Mr. Saman Sri Ratnayake, who joined the event as a guest, presented his views on increasing women’s representation.
The Speaker was then elected at the inaugural session of the Student Parliament. The Prime Minister, the Cabinet and the group of MPs were then sworn in. Subsequently, each Minister of the Student Parliament informed the assembly about the future plans proposed to be implemented by their ministries.
The official badges of the students representing the Student Parliament were also pinned at this event.
A group of officials representing the Parliament of Sri Lanka and a group of teachers, students and parents of Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya participated in this program.
