Cabinet nod given to increase maximum number of students in a class to 45

Cabinet has approved a proposal to increase the maximum number of students in a class from 40 to 45. 

A Cabinet paper presented in this regard by Education Minister Prof G.L. Peiris was approved today. 

The Ministry of Education noted that the Supreme Court in 2016 had ordered that the maximum number of students in a class be reduced from 40 to 35 by 2021. This had been done based on request made by the Education Ministry in 2015 and based on a Cabinet decision taken on October 21, 2015. 

Nevertheless, it had become practically impossible to keep to this limit due to a variety of reasons. This includes having to accommodate the children of judges, medical officers, government officers, university lecturers and other officials. The issue of having to find places for children of officials who go on annual transfers as well as those coming from overseas has compounded the problem, the Ministry noted. 

Accordingly, Cabinet has agreed to forward to the Attorney General, instructions to amend the law to increase the maximum number of students in a class to 45 by 2021. This limit is to remain in place until 2023, when it is expected that the goal of developing three schools at each Divisional Secretariat level to meet the target of developing 1000 such schools in the country, is completed, the Ministry added.