Colombo, October 21: Sri Lanka is currently facing a major teacher shortage, with 36,178 vacancies reported across provincial and national schools, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya revealed in Parliament today (21).
The Prime Minister, who also serves as the Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education, presented the figures while responding to a parliamentary query on the state of teacher recruitment and staffing in schools.
According to the data provided, national schools account for 1,501 vacancies, while provincial schools face a far greater shortage of 34,677 teachers.
Provincial Breakdown of Teacher Vacancies
- Eastern Province: 6,613
- Central Province: 6,318
- Western Province: 4,630
- Sabaragamuwa Province: 3,994
- Northern Province: 3,271
- North Western Province: 2,990
- Uva Province: 2,780
- Southern Province: 2,513
- North Central Province: 1,568
Recruitment Measures Underway
Prime Minister Amarasuriya informed Parliament that several steps have been initiated to address this critical shortage. A teacher recruitment drive began on July 28, 2024, targeting vacancies in national schools for key subjects including Science, Mathematics, Technology, and Foreign Languages, along with subjects under the 13-Year Continuous Education Programme.
The recruitment process also covers A/L classes in Sinhala, English, and Tamil mediums, aiming to ensure balanced staffing across all streams and languages.
Additionally, the Prime Minister confirmed that 353 graduates who were previously appointed to Grade 3-1(a) of the Teacher Service but had not yet assumed duties will be recruited within the next two months.
⚙️ Further Steps to Expedite Recruitment
To accelerate the process, PM Amarasuriya stated that official requests have been submitted to the Recruitment Review Committee, chaired by the Secretary to the Prime Minister, for final approval.
She assured Parliament that necessary steps will be taken swiftly to complete the recruitment and ensure that schools across the island are adequately staffed to meet the needs of students.
