In the wake of teachers’ unions opposing the Government’s failure to provide solutions to teacher-principal salary anomalies through the 2026 Budget, the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education stated that the ministry does not have the authority to provide solutions and that the Finance Ministry will have to make the necessary decisions in this regard.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, Ministry Secretary Nalaka Kaluwewa said: “Teacher-principal salary anomalies is not something that we as the Education Ministry can solve. The Finance Ministry will have to make appropriate decisions.”

These remarks come after the Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) recently called for immediate action to resolve the issue. Speaking to The Daily Morning, CTU President Priyantha Fernando said last week that although this is the National People’s Power (NPP) Government’s second budget, the long-standing salary anomaly affecting teachers and principals remains unresolved. He noted the 2026 Budget proposed appointing a new commission to examine salary anomalies across Government services, but insisted this is unnecessary for teachers and principals.

In 2021, the then-Government led by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed a Cabinet sub-committee to study the issue following a prolonged strike by teachers’ and principals’ unions. Based on the committee’s recommendations, a partial salary adjustment was granted with a promise that the remaining disparities would be resolved later. However, trade unions maintain that the anomaly remains unresolved to this day.