Teacher Shortages Hit Thousands of Schools in Sri Lanka

Thousands of schools across Sri Lanka are grappling with severe teacher shortages, with more than 3,000 institutions operating with fewer than 10 teachers, according to official data.

Figures released on Thursday by the Department of Census and Statistics show that 3,126 schools, including one national school, currently have fewer than 10 teachers. 

The data also revealed that 4,263 schools employ between 10 and 25 teachers, underscoring the limited staffing levels affecting a large portion of the country’s education system.

Significant disparities in school size were also revealed, as 1,576 schools enroll fewer than 50 students each, while 36 schools accommodate more than 4,000 students.

The data indicates that nearly 3.82 million students are currently enrolled in state-run schools nationwide.

Meanwhile, the government has invited applications from graduates to join the Sri Lanka Teachers’ Service, saying that recruitment would cover Sinhala, Tamil and English mediums at both national and provincial schools.