According to the Annual School Census of Sri Lanka 2024 – Summary Report 2024 (2025) released by the Ministry of Education, Sri Lanka’s government school system continues to serve millions of students across the country .
Key Highlights
- Total Government Schools: 10,076
- National Schools: 396
- Provincial Schools: 9,680
- Total Student Population: 3,816,234
- Male Students: 1,888,620 (49.5%)
- Female Students: 1,927,614 (50.5%)
- Students by School Category:
- 1AB Schools: 1,566,705 students (41.1%)
- 1C Schools: 986,367 students (25.8%)
- Type 2 Schools: 667,735 students (17.5%)
- Type 3 (Primary) Schools: 595,427 students (15.6%)
- Students by Grade Cycle:
- Primary (Grades 1–5): 1,471,394
- Junior Secondary (Grades 6–9): 1,287,445
- Senior Secondary O/L (Grades 10–11): 636,378
- Senior Secondary A/L (Grades 12–13): 413,443
- Medium of Study:
- Sinhala Medium: 2,759,397 students (72.3%)
- Tamil Medium: 922,668 students (24.2%)
- Bilingual & English Medium: 134,169 students (3.5%)
- Teaching Staff:
- Total Teaching Staff (including principals): 238,506
- Male Teachers: 55,025
- Female Teachers: 183,481
- National Student–Teacher Ratio: 16:1
- Grade 1 Admissions – 2024:
- Total Admissions: 282,293
- National Schools: 26,908
- Provincial Schools: 255,385
- Provincial Distribution:
- Western Province records the highest number of schools and students
- North Central and Northern Provinces show comparatively lower enrolments
The Ministry of Education stated that the School Census data will be used to support education planning, policy formulation, and equitable resource distribution, with the aim of strengthening the quality and accessibility of government education across Sri Lanka.
