Around 100 government schools in Sri Lanka are expected to close this year as part of an ongoing programme to merge schools with very low student populations with nearby educational institutions, according to the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.
The move is expected to bring the total number of operational government schools in the country below 10,000. Official figures show that Sri Lanka had 10,047 government schools last year, while the latest information collected from provincial authorities indicates a significant reduction.
Education authorities said the closures are not arbitrary but are linked to the school-merger programme, which seeks to address disparities in the distribution of teachers and other resources across the education system.
According to ministry officials, some schools have only a handful of students despite having several teachers, while other schools with significantly larger student populations operate with a similar number of teaching staff. The merger programme is intended to improve the use of teachers, infrastructure and other educational resources.
Authorities have also emphasized the need to ensure equitable access to quality education while improving the efficiency of school management. The issue has renewed attention on earlier initiatives, including the “Nearest School is the Best School” concept, which sought to ensure that children have access to quality education facilities close to their homes.
The Ministry said the current restructuring is aimed at creating a more efficient education system while ensuring that students affected by school mergers continue to have access to suitable educational facilities.
