China has pledged to donate 1,000 smart boards to Sri Lankan schools, advancing the country’s digital education efforts. This announcement follows an Indian grant project that recently provided digital equipment for 200 smart classrooms and 2,200 smart tablets in the Southern Province, according to Education Minister Susil Premajayantha.
The Sri Lankan government, led by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, is accelerating its digital transformation in education, including planned teacher training and the establishment of 1,250 clusters of schools with integrated technology. Premajayantha noted that 2,500 high-tech smart boards will be distributed to key schools with internet access by September, with the Chinese grant covering part of this initiative.
The grant amount from China was not disclosed, but it will complement additional contributions from the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC), which will supply 1,500 smart boards.
As Sri Lanka prepares for its presidential election later this year, digitization of education has become a key issue. Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa has also committed to expanding smart classrooms, having already distributed approximately 350 smart classrooms nationwide.
President Wickremesinghe, who is expected to run for re-election, has yet to officially announce his candidacy. The Election Commission is anticipated to set the election date by the end of July. Meanwhile, informal surveys suggest that Premadasa and Anura Kumara Dissanayaka are leading in popularity, with Wickremesinghe trailing behind.
The Indian-funded smart classroom project is part of a broader High Impact Community Development Project, which encompasses 18 grant initiatives across Sri Lanka with a total value of approximately 5.5 billion Sri Lankan rupees ($18.3 million).