Small schools to be merged as part of education reforms
View(s):The government proposes to amalgamate schools within a 3 kilometre radius with less than 100 students into one, Deputy Minister of Education Madura Seneviratne said.
He said there are close to 3,000 schools with less than 100 students, and some were located in close proximity to one another. These will be amalgamated into one school so as to enhance the quality of education with the right number of teachers and other facilities.
According to available statistics, in 2023, there were 98 schools with no new admissions. Furthermore, 115 schools had fewer than 10 students, 406 schools had fewer than 20 students and 752 schools had fewer than 30 students. There were 1,141 schools with fewer than 40 students and 1,506 schools with fewer than 50 students. This means approximately 15 percent of the entire school system falls into these categories.
The statistics show that there are 3,144 schools with fewer than 100 students, which is approximately one-third of all government schools that have fewer than 100 students.
The amalgamation will lead to closure of some schools but this will benefit students as they will get a better education, the deputy minister said.
All primary schools will be located within walking distance for students, while primary schools will be located in more central locations near government offices such as the divisional secretariat, education offices, hospitals and other such places.
These changes are to enable students to have an overall better experience in their schooling years and access extracurricular activities and social activities which they are denied to them due to being in small schools, he said. (DWI)
HitAd.lk is the best and biggest mobile phone market in Sri Lanka, and we guarantee you will find what you need here from our extensive listing of mobile phones for sale in Sri Lanka. Whether it’s a budget-priced smartphone for communication, or higher end features with advanced connectivity, there are many different options from which to choose from on our site!