By Minister of Buddhasasana, religious and cultural affairs, Vidura Wickramanayaka is still undecided on the practice of children being ordained. Even after a lengthy discussion with the ministerial consultative committee, no final decision has been taken on the issue of Child ordinations.
The members agreed that a specific program must be in place to ensure the well-being of the children as well as the Buddha Sasana. However, it is not clear what action is to be taken.
The issue of child ordination is controversial while some have very serious concerns about kids being ordained as they see it as an infringement on child rights others argue it is an acceptable practice if carried out properly. professor of Anthropology, Emeritus, of Princeton University, New Jersey, USA said
“I have no answers to these questions but if more monks are needed there remains a very simple solution to the problem, and that is the recruitment of older folk. Many older people are increasingly given to meditation (of various types, some deep, some shallow) and they are nowadays educated, often with a good knowledge of the dhamma. They have more or less retired from work and worldly life and form an ideal recruiting ground for both novices and fully ordained monks (and nuns).”
