Colombo, 100,000 students drop out of school system

 The government admits that 20,000 students have dropped out of school, while another 80,000 do not attend classes regularly. Inequality is increasing in a system marked by economic crisis and a lack of subsidies. Teachers and unions complain: “No one is trying to get these kids back to school.”

Colombo (AsiaNews) - In Sri Lanka, the economic crisis has left a dramatic mark on the education sector: about 100,000 students are somehow out of the school system, of whom 20,000 have dropped out, while another 80,000 no longer attend classes regularly.

This is the alarming picture that emerged from a survey by the Ministry of Education, the results of which were announced in recent days by Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, who is also Minister of Higher Education and Vocational Training, during a meeting with school officials in the province of Sabaragamuwa.

The data confirms a trend already observed in recent years: the number of students enrolled in public schools has fallen from 4,063,685 in 2020 to 3,882,688 in 2025. The economic crisis that erupted in 2022 has had a severe impact on families.

Despite around 300,000 new enrolments each year, access to education is increasingly unequal between schools in some large cities and schools in the rest of the country.

“These figures confirm the seriousness of the situation,” university professors Darshana Hewawitharana and Kamanthi Alwis told AsiaNews. “Dropout rates remain worrying. The government has not yet taken effective measures to prevent school disruption and many students receive insufficient aid.”

Over two million pupils have difficulty purchasing school supplies, but the state subsidy of 6,000 rupees (less than 20 euros) has been distributed to less than 400,000 students. “In some areas,” they point out, “less than 20% of pupils receive adequate support. Many cannot even afford a full meal, so several students faint at school from hunger.”

According to the teachers' union (CTU), about 3% of students drop out after primary school, and the percentage rises to 11% after ninth grade: a figure that has almost doubled compared to previous years.

“Half of the students,” explains CTU president Priyantha Fernando, “do not make it to the exams at the end of the first cycle of secondary school. The main reason is economic: they cannot even afford notebooks and pens.” A ministry survey confirms that 52% of school dropouts are due to financial difficulties. “But no one is seriously trying to get these kids back to school,” Fernando added.

Even in urban areas, such as the capital Colombo, there has been a decline in enrollment. CTU Secretary General Joseph Stalin warns that “the increase in social inequality is a direct consequence of school dropouts. The authorities must take responsibility for this crisis and focus their attention not only on elite schools, but above all on the poorest students.”

The Sri Lankan government has announced a comprehensive reform of the school system starting in 2026. But according to teachers, activists, and scholars, the right to education for hundreds of thousands of vulnerable students cannot wait another two years.

Former school principals such as Nishantha Ranaweera and Kumari Wijepala report that “many students have dropped out of school to help their families by working as laborers or domestic workers. Some local benefactors try to provide meals and school supplies, but they cannot meet the needs of entire communities on their own.”