New Guidelines for Intermediate Grade School Admissions for 2026

The Ministry of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education has officially released Circular 09/2026, outlining the formal procedures for admitting students to intermediate grades (Grades 2 to 11, excluding Grades 5 and 6) in government schools for the year 2026.

The new directive, dated March 31, 2026, supersedes all previous instructions regarding intermediate admissions and establishes a strict merit-based points system for selection.

Strict Class Size Limits

To ensure quality education, the Ministry has mandated maximum student limits per classroom:

Grades 2 to 5: Maximum of 40 students per class.
Grades 6 to 11: Maximum of 45 students per class.

Vacancies will only be recognized if the current student count in a grade is below these thresholds multiplied by the number of parallel classes.

Eligibility Categories

Under the new circular, students can apply under five primary categories:

Government Transfers: Children of state/corporate sector employees transferred over 25 km from their previous station within the last three years.
Returnees from Abroad: Children of parents returning to Sri Lanka after working or studying abroad for over a year (within the last three years).
Relocation: Families who have moved their permanent residence over 50 km for valid reasons within the last three years.
Grade 5 Scholarship Performance: Students in Grades 7–11 who exceeded the district cut-off marks in the Year 5 Scholarship Exam.
Education Sector Employees: Children of staff working in schools, the Ministry of Education, or state universities.

The Selection Process & Timeline

Principals must calculate vacancies by January 31 and publish them on school notice boards and websites by February 15.

Key Dates for Parents:

Application Period: February 16 to February 28.
Interviews: March 01 to March 15.
Final List Submission: By March 31 for Ministry/Provincial approval.

Applications must be sent via registered post to the respective School Principal. Applicants are required to apply to at least five schools that have vacancies.

Scoring System

For Grades 2–4, selection is based on a 50-point scale focusing on the proximity of the residence/workplace to the school and the nature of the transfer or relocation.

For Grades 7–11, a 100-point scale is used, incorporating:

Academic Performance: Average marks from the final term exam (up to 15 points).
Extra-Curricular Achievements: Sports, aesthetics, and innovation at Zonal, Provincial, or National levels (up to 25 points).
Leadership: Prefectship or captaincy roles (up to 10 points).

Warning Against Fraud

The Ministry warned that providing false information or forged documents will lead to immediate disqualification. If a fraud is discovered within three months of admission, the student will be removed and reassigned to a different school by the Zonal Director.