JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — April 6, 2026 — The Ceylon Teachers’ Union has accused education authorities in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province of negligence in the suspension of hardship allowances for teachers working in remote island communities, saying the decision has left dozens of educators without essential support despite the challenging conditions they face.
Joseph Stalin, the union’s general secretary, said a formal complaint had been lodged with the Secretary of the Ministry of Education, citing a failure by provincial officials to accurately represent the geographical realities of island schools in Jaffna district.
The affected teachers serve in schools located in Delft (Neduntheevu), Nainativu, Analaitivu and Eluvaitivu — areas accessible primarily by sea and often subject to difficult and unpredictable travel conditions.
According to union figures, 174 teachers across 16 schools have lost their hardship allowances, including 92 teachers in Delft, 46 in Nainativu, 23 in Analaitivu and 13 in Eluvaitivu.
The allowances were discontinued following a reclassification under Education Ministry Circular No. 01/2024 (1), which removed these schools from the “difficult area” category based on criteria such as access to internet, water supply and public transport.
Union officials argue that the classification failed to account for a critical factor: the necessity of sea travel to reach the schools.
“When submitting data to the Ministry, Northern Province education authorities did not properly highlight the geographical hardships faced by these island schools,” Mr. Stalin said. “Failing to correct this and withholding allowances from teachers is a serious act of irresponsibility.”
In a letter to the Education Ministry, the union called for an immediate review of the classification and the reinstatement of the suspended allowances. It also urged authorities to investigate whether similar discrepancies have affected schools in other districts.
The union further noted that although the 2026 national budget announced an increase in hardship allowances for teachers, payments continue to be made at older rates — 2,500 rupees and 1,500 rupees — and called for the revised amounts to be implemented without delay.
Teachers in these island communities often work in isolated and resource-constrained environments, with limited access to infrastructure and essential services. Union representatives said the withdrawal of allowances risks undermining both morale and the sustainability of education in some of the country’s most underserved regions.
The Ministry of Education has not yet publicly responded to the complaint.
