Sri Lanka has completed competitive examinations for the proposed recruitment of 23,006 teachers, with interviews and practical assessments scheduled to begin in November as the government prepares to extend its revised school curriculum to two additional grades next year.
Prime Minister and Education Minister Harini Amarasuriya disclosed the recruitment timetable during a visit to Polonnaruwa on October 24.
The government introduced its revised curriculum to Grade One in 2026 and plans to extend the programme to Grades Two and Six in 2027.
The recruitment process is intended to address staffing requirements within the school system, where teacher and principal appointments have not taken place consistently over several years, according to the Prime Minister.
Recruitment examinations completed
Amarasuriya said competitive examinations associated with recruiting 23,006 teachers had concluded.
The next stage will involve interviews and practical assessments, which are expected to begin in November.
The government has not announced a final appointment date for the entire proposed intake.
The October 25 government statement also does not provide a district-by-district distribution of the proposed appointments or identify how many teachers will be assigned to individual subjects.
Those allocations will determine whether schools experiencing shortages receive additional staff before the next stage of curriculum reform begins.
2026: Revised curriculum introduced to Grade One.
November 2026: Interviews and practical assessments for the proposed teacher recruitment are expected to begin.
2027: Revised curriculum planned for Grades Two and Six.
23,006: Number of teachers covered by the announced recruitment process.
Curriculum expansion will require trained teachers
The government has said its education reforms will place greater attention on practical learning, student participation and the development of skills.
Amarasuriya told the gathering that changes to textbooks and classroom instruction must be accompanied by improvements to school facilities and teacher preparation.
She also confirmed that curricula used by the National Colleges of Education are being revised to prepare future teachers for the new approach.
The government’s announcement does not establish how many existing teachers have completed training for the revised curriculum.
It also does not specify whether every school scheduled to introduce the new material in 2027 will have completed the necessary classroom and equipment improvements.
Education Council legislation under preparation
The Prime Minister said legal work had begun towards establishing an Education Council.
The proposed institution is intended to support professional standards within the education sector.
No final legislative text, appointment structure or implementation date was identified in the announcement.
The proposed council comes amid wider debate about teacher qualifications and the recognition of education degrees.
The government’s latest recruitment announcement does not resolve those separate qualification disputes.
School construction also under review
Amarasuriya made the announcement while attending the opening of a newly completed two-storey building at Athumalpitiya Primary School in Polonnaruwa.
According to the government, construction began in 2017 but was interrupted during the economic crisis.
Work subsequently resumed and the building was completed.
During another school visit in Polonnaruwa, the Prime Minister opened a building containing eight primary classrooms, constructed with approximately Rs. 55 million in government funding.
The government says it intends to review unfinished school buildings and complete projects that affect student safety and access to classrooms.
The education reforms are therefore entering 2027 with several implementation processes still under way, including recruitment, teacher training, construction and proposed changes to professional regulation.
