The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya - Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education

¶ 01 Mr. Speaker, response to the question raised by Hon. Sajith Premadasa on 2025.09.12 under Standing Order 27(2):

¶ 02 1) Teacher vacancies as at 2025.05.31: - National Schools: 1,501 - Provincial Schools by Province: Western 4,630; Southern 2,513; Central 6,318; North Western 2,990; Uva 2,780; North Central 1,568; Eastern 6,613; Sabaragamuwa 3,994; Northern 3,271 - Total Provincial: 36,178 Full breakdowns at zonal/divisional level are voluminous; soft copy can be provided.

¶ 03 Forthcoming recruitments: (a) For National Schools (A/L Science, Mathematics, Technology, foreign languages, and 13-year continuous education subjects in Sinhala/Tamil/English media): 353 eligible graduands who did not assume duties from the 2024.07.08 intake to be recruited within two months. (b) Under Gazette 2233 of 2021.06.18 for foreign language teachers to National Schools (SLEAS 3-1(a) recruitment): following Cabinet approval, practical tests were held on 2025.08.19; 33 candidates (French, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, German, Hindi) will be recruited against remaining vacancies. (c) Recruitment of in-service graduates to National and Provincial Schools under Gazette 2317 of 2023.01.27 is stayed due to interim orders of the Supreme Court; hence recruitments against those vacancies and other graduate recruitments have been delayed. The Recruitment Review Committee chaired by the Prime Minister’s Secretary is considering measures to fill remaining vacancies after resolution.

¶ 04 Religious subjects (Dharmacharya): - Cabinet Paper 2017/ED/11/06 (2017.02.28) and decision (2017.05.09) authorized recruitment of Dharmacharya-qualified teachers via Gazette 2087 of 2018.08.31; the competitive written exam was held on 2019.05.25. At that time, there were insufficient vacancies; recruitments were temporarily halted. In 2020, only subjects with vacancies proceeded to practicals; for National Schools, Catholic and Islam had interviews on 2020.10.16, while 2020.10.20 sessions were postponed due to COVID-19. Subsequently, due to fiscal controls (Cabinet 21/1596/304/134; Circular 03/2022), pending recruitments to unfilled posts were paused. - Following RTI orders in 2024, the Department of Examinations released only the written exam results (no practical marks, since practicals were not held). Separately, annual output from National Colleges of Education (NCoE) in relevant religious subjects must be appointed; thus, from 2019 to 2023, NCoE diplomates have been appointed to those subjects. - As current vacancies in provinces and National Schools are minimal and 2024 NCoE diplomates are being allocated to those limited posts, the PSC has advised that an updated Cabinet submission be made on handling 2019 exam candidates; we are proceeding accordingly.

¶ 05 On Development Officers posted to schools: The Ministry has not implemented a program to return them to other state institutions. Several related court cases (SC FR 77/2023, 78/2023, 88/2023, 95/2023; CA 576/2023) are pending; actions will follow court decisions.

¶ 06 On absorbing pre-1995 trainee teachers: Those who served as trainees before the 1995 teacher service constitution (Gazette 865/03 of 1995.04.03) were absorbed. Under the 2014 teacher service constitution (Gazette 1885/38 of 2014.10.23), graduate recruitment must be through competitive examination and structured interview; we cannot act outside those provisions.

¶ 07 Gampaha Wickramarachchi University of Indigenous Medicine (GWUIM): The UGC-appointed expert committee’s initial report and recommendations have been received; final report awaited for decisions. Names and qualifications of academic staff by faculty are provided in an annex placed in the Library. Another committee is probing alleged irregularities; its report will be submitted.

¶ 08 Government actions to commence clinical training: - Professorial units (wards and facilities) established; 22 medical officers assigned; nursing and other staff provided; clinical training for students began on 2025.09.15. - Two buildings within the hospital have been allocated for student and office/common facilities; renovations planned. - The 7th floor of Gallella Maternity and Children’s Hospital is being upgraded for students and departments. - Four nearby buildings have been rented by University of Moratuwa as hostels for final-year students undergoing day/night clinical training. - An advanced practical facility building for the first two years has been completed at Moratuwa University premises. - Cabinet approval obtained to allocate suitable land near Kalutara Hospital for the medical faculty; implementation underway.