News
Longer school hours rational stirs questions
View(s):By Tharushi Weerasinghe and Sajeniya Sathanandan
The Government’s decision to extend school hours as part of education reforms has drawn mixed responses from teachers, and unions.
The Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education issued detailed guidelines last Tuesday, outlining a comprehensive restructuring of school timetables across Primary and Secondary grades, aimed at reducing the burden of learning materials and improving the quality of education.
Nalaka Kaluwewa
Under the new guidelines, Grades 1 to 5 will begin reforms in 2026, with Grade 5 scheduled for 2029. Secondary education will follow a phased approach: Grade 6 in 2026, Grade 7 in 2027, Grade 8 in 2028, and Grade 9 in 2029.
Upper grades will adopt either the new timetable (NS) or the outcome-based timetable (OS), with Grade 6 transitioning to the OS timetable by 2031. Both timetable models for Grades 6–9 allocate 35 periods per week, with Sinhala/Tamil, mathematics, and science receiving four periods each. For Grades 10–11, the OS timetable retains 35 weekly periods, with science receiving three periods and other core subjects four. Students in these grades must select six mandatory subjects, with the option of up to three additional modules and two optional subjects. School hours for Grades 6–13 will run from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., while Grade 1 hours will be 7:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
“Extending subject times by 10 minutes will be ineffective,” said Mullaitivu teacher Mrs. Thurkadevi Mahendran, expressing concerns about students’ ability to concentrate. Most children cannot focus beyond 30 minutes and warned that a longer school day would reduce time for rest and play, potentially affecting health.
A teacher from a provincial school highlighted the challenges of long commutes for both students and teachers. A teacher from a prominent Colombo school said: “Children are bright in the morning, but during the last period, no matter how much effort is exerted, they will not concentrate,” noting that attention often wanes until around 1:30 p.m.
Teacher unions have formally opposed the extended hours. Many union leaders also noted that these changes were introduced without consulting educators or a trial run. “We will not object to increasing the time if we are paid for the additional work,” said Indika Paranawithana, convener of the Teachers and Principals National Force.
The union maintains that the extension is unscientific, violates psychological principles, and was without a valid rationale. “It is seen as an act of harassment as they are subjected to unnecessary pressure,” said Ven. Ulapane Sumangala Thero, President of the Education Professionals’ Association.
Responding to these concerns, Education Ministry Secretary Nalaka Kaluwewa said: “There is no consideration for a salary increase — not even in the discussion.” He clarified that salary adjustments are determined through the national budget, separate from the timetable reforms.
“When we introduced this module system, it was activity-based. The NIE initially recommended one-hour periods, but considering logistical constraints, we limited them to 50 minutes. This was the best compromise,” he added, explaining that longer periods are needed to accommodate practical activities alongside theoretical lessons. The 50-minute allocation allows the number of subjects per day to be reduced to seven.
Mr. Kaluwewa also explained that while two intervals had been recommended, only one will be implemented in most schools due to management challenges, although schools capable of handling two may do so. Grade 1 session times will remain unchanged, but Grade 6 reforms require the new 50-minute allocation, and other grades follow the same schedule for practical reasons. “Reforms will continue to be introduced for Grade 7 next year. We accept it is a challenge and adjustments are necessary, but we are providing guidelines to make this transition easier for schools, teachers, and students,” he said.
The reforms are being implemented with support from a US$200 million Asian Development Bank loan. The loan documents include the curriculum framework, prepared by the National Institute of Education (NIE), outlining the module-based system and timetable structure. Teacher training is nearly complete, covering 10,000 trainers and 136,065 teachers nationwide, with full provincial coverage expected by December 31, 2025. For the first term of 2026, 106 modules for Grades 1–6 will be finalised and distributed before the start of the school year.
Sri Lanka has 10,076 schools, with 12,626 Grade One classes enrolling 282,293 students, and 11,291 Grade Six classes enrolling 323,896 students. The ministry has confirmed that all students will receive textbooks on time and plans to raise awareness among parents in December, while a special task force works to ensure schools are digitally equipped for the reforms.
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