Parliament raises child labour fines tenfold as PM warns on boys dropping out

Parliament passed the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children (Amendment) Bill without a vote on Thursday, after a Second Reading debate that ran from 11.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.

The amendment raises the fines applicable to offences under the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children Act No. 47 of 1956 from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 100,000 — a tenfold increase to penalties set seventy years ago. Ada Derana cited a statement from Parliament’s Department of Communication.

The PM’s case for the Bill

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya used her contribution to the debate to set out the government’s wider child protection position, and to flag a trend she said was becoming harder to reverse: boys leaving school.

Compulsory education up to the age of 16 is already established in law, she said, but the government had observed a declining share of boys remaining in education beyond that age. Children who do not complete the full 13 years of schooling face a range of risks on entering society, she argued, and those who leave without skills or qualifications are more exposed to exploitation, harmful influences and involvement in unlawful activity.

“It is in recognition of these challenges that one of the key objectives of the education reforms being implemented from 2026 is to ensure that children remain within the school system for the full 13 years of education,” she said.

She also pointed to inconsistencies the Bill is meant to help address. “There have been inconsistencies in the definition of a ‘child’ across different laws, with certain provisions referring to the ages of 15, 16, 17 or 18,” she said, describing the amendment as part of a broader approach to closing gaps in the child protection framework.

Curriculum and transport

The Prime Minister said the new Grade 1 curriculum had been introduced this year, with new curricula for Grades 2 and 6 to follow next year, alongside a common curriculum prepared for all preschools. Teacher training and other preparations are already under way.

She said the government was also working on school transport, with regulations to be introduced requiring vehicles carrying schoolchildren to meet minimum standards. Seat belts and security cameras would be mandatory under those rules.

”Children need holidays as well”

Amarasuriya closed by urging parents and teachers not to load children with excessive academic demands during the current school holiday period, saying rest and mental freedom mattered to their wellbeing.

“Children need holidays as well,” she said, while acknowledging the work of principals and teachers in developing schools.

The full text of the Bill is available on Parliament’s website.