Children & education

ළමයින් සහ අධ්‍යාපනය · சிறுவர்களும் கல்வியும்

Protection, schooling, work, birth, juvenile justice

Situations

• A child is being hurt or neglected · ළමයෙකුට හානි කරනවා හෝ නොසලකා හරිනවා · ஒரு பிள்ளை துன்புறுத்தப்படுகிறது அல்லது புறக்கணிக்கப்படுகிறது
• A child was sexually abused · ළමයෙකු ලිංගික අපයෝජනයට ලක් වුණා · ஒரு பிள்ளை பாலியல் துஷ்பிரயோகத்துக்கு உள்ளானது
• A teacher or carer beats a child · ගුරුවරයෙක් හෝ රැකබලා ගන්නෙක් ළමයෙකුට පහර දෙනවා · ஆசிரியர் அல்லது பராமரிப்பாளர் பிள்ளையை அடிக்கிறார்
• A child is not sent to school · ළමයෙකු පාසල් නොයවනවා · ஒரு பிள்ளை பாடசாலைக்கு அனுப்பப்படவில்லை
• A child is made to work · ළමයෙකු ලවා වැඩ කරවනවා · ஒரு பிள்ளை வேலை செய்ய வைக்கப்படுகிறது
• Registering a child's birth · දරුවෙකුගේ උපත ලියාපදිංචි කිරීම · பிள்ளையின் பிறப்பைப் பதிவுசெய்தல்
• A child is accused of a crime · ළමයෙකුට අපරාධයක් කළ බවට චෝදනා වී ඇත · ஒரு பிள்ளை மீது குற்றம் சாட்டப்பட்டுள்ளது
• Ragged or bullied at school or university · පාසලේ හෝ විශ්වවිද්‍යාලයේ නවක වදයට හෝ හිරිහැරයට ලක්වීම · பாடசாலை அல்லது பல்கலைக்கழகத்தில் பகிடிவதை அல்லது கொடுமைப்படுத்தல்
• Grade 1 admission refused, or asked to pay for a school place · 1 ශ්‍රේණියට ඇතුළත් කිරීම ප්‍රතික්ෂේප කිරීම, හෝ පාසල් ස්ථානයකට මුදල් ඉල්ලීම · தரம் 1 அனுமதி மறுப்பு, அல்லது பாடசாலை இடத்துக்குப் பணம் கேட்கப்படுதல்
• Is education a right under the Constitution? · ව්‍යවස්ථාව යටතේ අධ්‍යාපනය අයිතියක්ද? · அரசியலமைப்பின் கீழ் கல்வி உரிமையா?

Acts, ordinances and regulations

• Children and Young Persons Ordinance (No. 48 of 1939) — Sets up Juvenile Courts, protects children in need of care, and punishes cruelty to children.
• Penal Code (Amendment) Act, No. 22 of 1995 — Added cruelty to children, sexual exploitation of children and grave sexual abuse, with heavy minimum sentences.
• Penal Code (Amendment) Act, No. 10 of 2018 — Raised the age below which a child cannot commit a crime from 8 to 12.
• Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (corporal punishment) — Proposed ban on corporal punishment of children. Presented in Parliament in August 2025; not confirmed as law yet.
• National Child Protection Authority Act, No. 50 of 1998 — Created the NCPA to prevent child abuse, take complaints and run the 1929 helpline.
• Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children Act, No. 47 of 1956 — Controls work by children and young persons, including night work and hazardous work.
• Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children (Amendment) Act, No. 2 of 2021 — Raised the minimum working age from 14 to 16. A child is now anyone under 16.
• Hazardous Occupations Regulations, No. 1 of 2021 — Lists 71 kinds of hazardous work banned for under-18s, including domestic work.
• Education Ordinance (1939) — Provides free education in government schools and the power to make compulsory attendance rules.
• Compulsory Attendance of Children at Schools Regulations, No. 1 of 2015 (Gazette 1963/30 of 20 April 2016) — Parents must send children aged 5 to 16 to school regularly.
• Births and Deaths Registration Act — Parents must register a birth within 42 days. Late registration is possible by order.
• Maintenance Act, No. 37 of 1999 — A child under 18 can get maintenance from a parent through the Magistrate's Court.
• Prevention of Domestic Violence Act, No. 34 of 2005 — A parent, guardian or NCPA-authorised person can seek a protection order for a child.
• Adoption of Children Ordinance (No. 24 of 1941) — Court-ordered adoption with the child's welfare as the key test.
• Prohibition of Ragging and Other Forms of Violence in Educational Institutions Act, No. 20 of 1998 — Makes ragging, intimidation, hostage taking and violence in schools, universities and colleges serious crimes.
• Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (Articles 12 and 27) — Article 12 guarantees equal protection of the law. Article 27(2)(h) directs the State to give universal and equal access to education.
• Education Ordinance, No. 31 of 1939 — The main law on schools, and the basis of free education in Sri Lanka.
• Ministry of Education Grade 1 Admission Circular — Annual rules for Grade 1 admissions to government schools: categories, marks, interviews, lists and appeals. A new circular applies from 2027.