Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Colombo, August 11 (Daily Mirror) – Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) General Secretary Joseph Stalin today revealed findings from the 2024 Auditor General’s report, released in May 2025, which stated that 139 vehicles registered under the Education Ministry Secretary’s name are not in the possession of the Ministry.

He further noted that the report detailed the Education Ministry’s spending of Rs. 5,219 million during 2020, 2021, and 2022 on education reforms, while the National Institute of Education (NIE) spent Rs. 350 million. However, the report highlighted that these reforms were not implemented as planned and that a clear road map for the reforms had not been prepared even by March 26, 2025.

Addressing the media, Stalin said the report observed low school attendance not only among Advanced Level (A/L) students but also Ordinary Level (O/L) students, even after the NPP came to power. The report urges the Ministry to develop sustainable solutions to address this issue and criticized the lack of focus on O/L and A/L students in school education.

Stalin pointd out that low attendance is partly due to students attending private tuition classes instead of regular schools. He urged the government to curb tuition classes and strengthen formal school education, noting that no reforms have addressed this problem so far.

Therefore, the Education Ministry must intervene in the issues.