Sri Lanka is currently facing a major teacher shortage, with 36,178 vacancies reported across provincial and national schools, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya revealed in Parliament today (21).

The Prime Minister, who also serves as the Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education, presented the figures while responding to a parliamentary query on the state of teacher recruitment and staffing in schools.

According to the data provided, national schools account for 1,501 vacancies, while provincial schools face a far greater shortage of 34,677 teachers.

Further Steps to Expedite Recruitment To accelerate the process, PM Amarasuriya stated that official requests have been submitted to the Recruitment Review Committee, chaired by the Secretary to the Prime Minister, for final approval.

She assured Parliament that necessary steps will be taken swiftly to complete the recruitment and ensure that schools across the island are adequately staffed to meet the needs of students.