Principals Warned Over 2025 Natinala School Teacher Transfer Delays

The Ministry of Education has issued a stern directive to all National School Principals, ordering the immediate execution of teacher transfers for the year 2025. The circular, signed by Additional Secretary (Establishments) A.S.S. Edirisuriya, warns that failure to comply will result in disciplinary action under the provisions of the Establishments Code.

Mandatory Compliance for Principals

The Ministry has observed delays in the transfer process and has clarified the following requirements:

• Release of Teachers: Principals must officially release all teachers who have received transfer orders from their current schools.
• Acceptance of New Staff: Principals are required to allow teachers arriving on transfer from other schools to report for duty and assume their positions without obstruction.
• Disciplinary Action: The letter emphasizes that blocking these transfers is an illegal act. Principals who fail to comply will face formal inquiries and consequences as per government regulations.

Handling Teacher Surpluses

The Ministry addressed concerns regarding subject-specific staffing. If a school already has a surplus of teachers for a specific subject and cannot provide a timetable for an incoming transferred teacher, the Principal must not block the entry. Instead, they must formally report the situation using Form 01 (Annexure 1) for further review.

Digital Updating via NSTT System

To ensure transparency and real-time tracking, all Principals must update the Online Teacher Transfer System (nstt.moe.gov.lk). The process includes:

1. Logging in as Principal: Accessing the “Transferred From” list to see teachers leaving the school.
2. Marking Releases: Clicking the green checkmark under the ‘Action’ column once a teacher is released.
3. Reporting Arrivals: Accessing the “Transferred To” list and marking the green checkmark when a new teacher reports for duty.
4. Error Correction: If a mistake is made (e.g., clicking the green mark by accident), Principals can use the red “Delete” icon to revert the status.

Monitoring by Zonal Directors

The circular concludes by stating that Zonal Education Directors will use the data updated in the online system to identify teachers and principals who are not complying with the 2025 transfer orders. Legal and administrative actions will be initiated based on this digital record.