Professor Venerable Kotapitiye Rahula Thera, delivering the keynote address at the Maha Sangha Colombo on Friday (20), said Sri Lanka does not require sexual education, arguing that traditional values and discipline are sufficient.

Addressing the gathering, which convened to highlight concerns over alleged intimidation directed at Buddhist monks and the wider community, Rahula Thera said Sri Lanka had historically maintained strong family structures without formal sex education.

“Recently there has been talk that our country needs sex education. Do the people of our country need sex education? I don’t think so,” he said.

“In the past, people lived good married lives, raised 10 to 15 children, and lived happily while preserving privacy and modesty. What a mess this sex education is. We don’t need it.”

Organisers said the conference was not politically motivated but aimed at safeguarding Buddhism and the clergy. The remarks underscored the event’s broader theme of resisting what participants described as mounting pressures faced by monks and the Buddhist community.