Former Leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and its Politburo member, Somawansa Amaerasinghe, yesterday pledged to allocate 6% of the GDP for education under a JVP administration.

“There is a great need to increase human capital of the country and education has a pivotal role to play in the process. Educational institutions of different scales should be empowered with knowledge. Temples also form an important aspect of the country’s education. Time is ripe to redesign this process and develop it in a comprehensive manner,” Amarasinghe said addressing a religious ceremony in the district of Badulla.

He also added that the standard of the education provided by temples should be uplifted with the support of new technology.

He asserted that the JVP was the only political movement who can initiate a ‘Change’ of that nature. He also added that the JVP, as a apolitical movement, attaches a great importance to the development of the edication sector.

The Federation of University Teachers’ Association (FUTA) , two years ago, urged the government to allocate six per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the education sector. Subsequently, they embarked on a three month long trade union action demanding 06% of the GDP for education. The trade union action was supported by multiple political parties and civil organizations.

Former leader Amarasinghe, while working in the capacity of a Politburo member, also handles international affairs of the party.