School Classification – Ministry of Education

The Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education has officially categorized all 10,102 government schools across the island into four distinct levels of difficulty, a move aimed at standardizing the recruitment, placement, and transfer of teachers. The new classification system was detailed in Circular No. 01/2024 (1), dated September 10, 2025, and signed by Ministry Secretary Nalaka Ruwewe.

The circular classifies schools as

very difficult, difficult, convenient, or very convenient. This categorization was determined by analyzing marks awarded to every school in the country.

National and Provincial Breakdown

Nationally, the majority of schools, 5,754, fall into the

“convenient” category. A total of 1,493 schools have been designated as

“very convenient,” while 1,877 are classified as “difficult” and 978 as “very difficult”.

The provincial data highlights significant regional disparities:

• The Western Province has the highest number of “very convenient” schools at 547.
• The Central Province has the largest number of challenging schools, with a combined total of 545 schools classified as either “difficult” (319) or “very difficult” (226).
• The North-Central Province has the fewest “very convenient” schools, with only 20.

Here is the full summary of the school categorization by province:

Implementation and Authority

This new classification system is set to guide academic staff management for the next three years from the date of the circular’s issuance. According to the document, the classification will not be revised during this period, and the “final and exclusive decision-making power in this regard is vested with the Secretary of Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education”.

The circular was distributed to key administrative heads in the education sector, including all Provincial Chief Secretaries, Provincial Education Secretaries, and Directors of Education at provincial, zonal, and divisional levels