COLOMBO — The Sri Lankan Ministry of Education on Monday (30) announced a cut of school days for 2025 from 210 days to 181.
The revised schedule will apply to government schools, government-approved private schools, and Pirivenas (schools for Buddhist monks), according to the ministry.
Sri Lanka continues to grapple with disruptions caused by COVID-19 and the economic crisis, with the third term of the 2024 academic year set to conclude on Jan. 24, 2025.
The ministry added that the new school year will officially begin on Jan. 27, 2025.
Additionally, the 2025 academic calendar includes 26 public holidays, 22 of which fall on weekdays, the ministry said, adding the high number of weekday holidays significantly reduces the number of days available for regular school sessions, making it impractical to adhere to the original 210-day schedule.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development announced on Monday that the ‘Household Survey on the Impact of the Economic Crisis – 2023,’ conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics had revealed that the education of 55% of children had been significantly impacted, with 53.2% forced to reduce or completely stop purchasing stationery items required for the school. The percentage, the survey found, was very high in the rural and estate areas.
As a means of mitigating the hardship, the finance ministry said the government would be providing an allowance to assist with the purchase of stationery items at the beginning of the 2025 school year.
The ministry also noted that an allowance of 6,000 rupees per school-going child was being paid to ‘Aswesuma’ families through the ‘Aswesuma’ bank accounts, beginning December 27.
The finance ministry said necessary allocation will be provided to the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education in the year 2025 to provide the allowance under an appropriate mechanism to obtain stationery worth 6,000 rupees per child for other vulnerable schoolchildren as well.
– Xinhua/ENCL
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