All schools are scheduled to commence the first phase of the first term of the 2026 academic year today (05).
Accordingly, the Ministry of Education announced that government and government-approved private schools, as well as pirivenas, will resume academic activities from today. The first term of the 2026 academic year will be implemented in line with the circular issued on December 9, 2025.
The Ministry noted that the 2025 academic year concluded on December 22, 2025, for Sinhala and Tamil schools, and on December 26, 2025, for Muslim schools.
Meanwhile, under the new education reforms, the revised curriculum for Grade 1 will commence on January 29, while the new curriculum for Grade 6 will begin on January 21, 2026. However, administrative procedures for admitting students to Grade 6 in other schools based on the Grade 5 Scholarship Examination results may be carried out from today over the coming week.
The Ministry also stated that several schools currently being used to shelter people displaced by Cyclone Ditwah will not reopen today.
The first phase of the first school term of 2026 will run from today until January 9, 2026. In addition, the remaining subjects of the G.C.E. Advanced Level examination, which were temporarily suspended due to Cyclone Ditwah, are scheduled to be held from January 12, 2026.
