More than 3,000 government schools across Sri Lanka are functioning with fewer than 10 teachers, revealing a growing structural strain on the country’s education system, according to the Department of Census and Statistics. The latest figures for 2025 highlight serious imbalances in staffing and student enrollment, affecting schools at both national and provincial levels.
The Department of Census and Statistics reports that there are 10,047 schools islandwide. Of these, 3,065 government schools operate with less than 10 teachers. Significantly, one of these under-staffed institutions is a national school, indicating that the issue extends beyond rural or provincial areas and into the national school network.
Student numbers present an equally concerning picture. The department states that 1,645 government schools have fewer than 50 students. Among them, one national school falls into this category, reflecting declining enrollments even in schools with national status. These figures point to widespread demographic and structural challenges within the public education system.
A further 1,648 government schools have student populations ranging between 51 and 100, all of which are provincial schools. This concentration suggests that low to moderate enrollment is particularly prevalent in provincial institutions, raising policy questions about efficient use of resources, teacher deployment, and the long-term viability of small schools.
The census data also show a decline in new student intake. Enrollment in Grade One government classes has fallen in 2025 compared to 2024. According to the Department of Census and Statistics, 266,281 children were enrolled in the first grade in 2025, reinforcing concerns about declining birth rates and their future impact on Sri Lanka’s education system and workforce planning.
