More than 3,000 schools across Sri Lanka are operating with fewer than 10 teachers, highlighting widespread staffing shortages in the country’s education system.

This is according to data released on Thursday by the Department of Census and Statistics.

The data showed that 3,126 schools, including one national school, function with fewer than 10 teachers.

A further 4,263 schools have between 10 and 25 teachers, indicating that the majority of schools operate with limited teaching staff.

Significant disparities in school size were also revealed: 1,576 schools enrol fewer than 50 students each, while 36 schools accommodate more than 4,000 students each.

The data indicate that nearly 3.82 million students are currently enrolled in state-run schools nationwide.

Meanwhile, the government has invited applications from graduates to join the Sri Lanka Teachers’ Service, saying that recruitment would cover Sinhala, Tamil and English mediums at both national and provincial schools.

Education sector observers say addressing teacher shortages remains critical to ensuring equitable access to quality education nationwide. 

(Xinhua/NAN)