General

All schools in the Uva Province will reopen on December 29, according to Nalaka Kaluwewe, the Secretary to the Ministry of Education. He shared this information during the Derana ‘BIG FOCUS’ program on December 16. Kaluwewe explained that transportation issues and the presence of relief camps are the main reasons for the delay in reopening schools affected by recent floods. In related news, Indika Kumari Liyanage, the Commissioner General of Examinations, mentioned that the postponed GCE Advanced Level exam will now take place over seven days. The exams are set to run from January 12 to January 20, 2026. During this period, students will take five subjects that include only Part II of a question paper, the first question paper for History, and ten other subjects that have both Paper I and Paper II. The Commissioner also noted that about 202,627 students are expected to take at least one subject soon. If students need an alternative exam center due to the ongoing disaster situation, they should inform the Department of Examinations through their school principal. Private candidates can reach the Department of Examinations directly by calling 1911, 0112 784 208, 0112 784 537, or 0112 788 616 to request a different exam center.