Given that the present Cabinet does not have a ministerial portfolio dedicated to Women and Child Affairs, and the State Ministry for Women and Child Development, Pre-School and Primary Education, School Infrastructure and School Services too is aligned under the Cabinet Ministry for Education, various groups have continuously asked whether Piyal Nishantha de Silva – the parliamentarian who was assigned the portfolio – was the right choice for the job. This week, The Sunday Morning had a brief chat with State Minister de Silva to ascertain how he’s easing into his ministerial portfolio, and also spoke to him about the programmes he plans on implementing to address the main issues in those areas. Excerpts of the interview follow: What is the special reason for giving you the subject of Women and Child Development? Of all the members of parliament (MPs), I contributed the most in the aspects of preschool education and the subject of women in my district, i.e. in Kalutara. Therefore, this subject has been handed over to me in recognition of my contribution. As a teacher in the field of education as well as a long-time Dhamma school teacher, I have formally implemented programmes in this area since 2001. My years of experience as a teacher qualify me to practise within this scope. It was because of all that, that I was assigned this Ministry, and I will do my level best to address the issues that are tied with women and children and improve the preschool and primary school education services. Before stepping into the role of a state minister, you implemented various grassroots level programmes throughout the country to support schoolchildren and mothers. Can you tell us a little bit about that? A loving mother is considered a great asset, and if one is to write about the virtue of motherhood, it will never see an end. I still believe there are great mothers that live amongst us. Even though my beloved mother is no longer alive, my love for her has not died. I believe it was because of my mother and father that I was able to gain so much experience in life. So, I conducted a long-term programme about my mother as a politician. In 2013, I created a quality programme called “Mothers” to create a conversation and aesthetic dialogue about the virtues of loving mothers. The programme worked very well across the country. It also aired on independent television. A large number of laymen and clergy were involved in the programme too. We ran two programmes a month with the scholars as a result; special programmes have been created for children and steps were taken to provide uniforms and books to the children as well. I have made a great contribution towards strengthening the minds of children. We look forward to continuing to implement such programmes. In 2001, I created the programme Sisu Nena Pradeepa and have continued to implement various programmes, particularly in the Kalutara District, for preschool, Sunday school, and formal schoolchildren as well as teachers and parents who impart knowledge, skills, and shape the attitudes of those children. As of today, the programme provides assistance to 602 preschools in the Kalutara District. I believe that a great deal of work can be done to empower women and improve the preschool and primary education sectors of the country, drawing from the success of these programmes. Violence and abuse against women and children are on the rise. Do you think the laws enacted against those who commit violence and abuse are sufficient? The laws against such individuals need to be strengthened so that the necessary action can be taken. Very few reports of violence and abuse are currently being reported. If we focus on the crux of the issue, a major catastrophe is taking place in the country. So we need to look at several aspects in this regard. We need to focus on the legal as well as the humanitarian side. A child who went to sea on a fishing trip was brutally assaulted recently. This child went for a dangerous job. What are the factors that motivated that child to go? Accordingly, we need to look at the economic status of such families. Therefore, no matter how much the law is enforced, justice will not be served if such situations are not addressed. In this situation, if the family’s financial situation is not strengthened, it could lead to something even more dangerous. The solution doesn’t only have to treat that child and punish the perpetrators – it has to do a lot more than that. We need to think of the children of the country and work with dedication. We have to advocate justice for the abused child. We have to do a lot of work to solve such problems. I hope to focus on these issues. What are your plans to improve preschool education? At present, we are implementing programmes on the instructions of Minister of Education Prof. G.L. Peiris. A programme has been prepared for this purpose in collaboration with government officials. The teachers of preschool children who impart knowledge to them should also be provided with programmes to expand their knowledge and understanding. The teacher must be satisfied if the child is to receive a good education. Today, our preschool teacher is not satisfied. Sometimes while governments are formed, the preschool teacher is told of a fairytale world. But after the formation of the government, the teacher gets treated like a midwife. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has a good understanding of preschool children. However, the previous Good Governance Government made teachers lose their dignity. It is our responsibility to provide an allowance to the preschool teacher and to create a quality preschool system, and we have to regulate the same in this regard. When regulating it, programmes should be implemented in such a way that no teacher is harmed. During my tenure I will take steps to ensure the preschool teacher is satisfied and thereby gives the child a proper education. If we fail to make it in this step, the next step will fail. Preschools should be made to offer a truly good-quality education.