The Education Ministry is to restore the school term and examination calendar to its pre-2020 schedule from next year (2027), Ministry Secretary Nalaka Kaluwewa said.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, he said that from 2027 onwards, both school terms and public examinations would return to their regular timelines, bringing an end to several years of disruption. As part of the transition, he noted that the remaining two school vacation periods this year (in 2026) would be longer than those granted in recent years. He also confirmed that the General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (O/L) Examination will be held in December 2026 as usual.

Sri Lanka’s education system has faced repeated interruptions since 2020, beginning with the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced prolonged school closures and a shift to remote learning. These disruptions were followed by the country’s economic crisis, which further affected school operations due to fuel shortages, transport difficulties, and constraints on public spending. As a result, examinations were postponed and rescheduled multiple times, and school terms had to be rearranged frequently. In addition, adverse weather events, including the impact of Cyclone Ditwah, also contributed to temporary school closures in several parts of the country.