COLOMBO, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka on Tuesday reopened most government and government-approved private schools following school closures due to Cyclone Ditwah, a senior official said.
According to Nalaka Kaluwewa, secretary to the Ministry of Education, 9,929 of the country's 10,076 schools reopened, while 147 schools in three provinces remain closed due to ongoing emergency conditions. These schools are in the Uva, Central, and North Western provinces, which were most affected by Cyclone Ditwah, he said.
To support students in disaster-affected areas, the Sri Lanka Transport Board and the Sri Lanka Railway Department will provide free transport services for schoolchildren for the remainder of the year.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has prohibited third-term examinations for students in Grades 6 to 10 for the 2025 academic year.
The second phase of the third school term in Sri Lanka was initially scheduled to begin on Dec. 8. However, the Ministry of Education postponed the reopening of schools due to the disaster situation caused by Cyclone Ditwah. ■
