Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Savithri Paulraj announced that 2027 will mark a transformative milestone for the early childhood sector, featuring the introduction of national Sri Lanka Standards (SLS) for preschools and early childhood development centres.“2027 will be a transformative year for the early childhood sector,” Minister Paulraj stated today (08) while presiding over a ministry review meeting to evaluate 2026 progress and outline strategic targets for the upcoming year.
Under the targets established for early childhood nutrition, education, and care, authorities are taking steps to implement the National Policy on Preschool Education during the first half of 2027. This initiative is being prepared by the National Secretariat for Early Childhood Development in collaboration with the National Institute of Education. Concurrently, national standards for preschools and childcare centres are being introduced alongside the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI).
Additionally, the ministry scheduled the implementation of the next phase of the Step-Up Program for 2027, launched earlier this year in partnership with Clean Sri Lanka and the Health Promotion Bureau to foster behavioral development and positive attitudes among preschool children.Also, the Minister further stated that the initiative to transform the early childhood sector into a formal and structured stage of education, which commenced with the introduction of the National Curriculum Framework for Early Childhood Education in 2025, is expected to reach a significant milestone in the coming year.
