It was revealed during the Kandy District Coordination Committee meeting that there are 283 schools in the Central Province with fewer than 30 students and that while some schools face severe teacher shortages, others with fewer than 30 students have between 10 and 15 teachers.
Transport and Highways Deputy Minister Dr. Prasanna Gunasena raised concerns about teacher shortages and low-enrollment schools with education authorities. In response, Central Province Education Director Nihal Alahakoon stated that among the 283 schools identified as having fewer than 30 students, over 100 schools have fewer than 10 students.
According to Central Province Chief Secretary Ajith Premasinghe, the approved number of teachers for government schools in the province is 33,028, but only 27,000 teachers are currently in service. This indicates a shortage of about 6,000 teachers. However, with 2,078 development officers deployed in schools, the deficit has been reduced to around 4,000.
The Chief Secretary expressed hope that around 1,000 new teachers graduating from teacher training colleges this year could be recruited to the Central Province, further addressing the shortfall.
Deputy Minister Gunasena highlighted disparities, citing examples of schools with only eight students but six teachers, and others with six students and four teachers. He also pointed out that some schools consistently face a lack of teachers, emphasising the need for a long-term solution.
He stressed that appointing new teachers alone would not resolve the issue and called for a comprehensive strategy to address teacher shortages effectively.
The Deputy Minister also noted that many schools in the Central Province are led by acting principals and urged better management of existing human resources while discussing new recruitment plans.
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