Effective immediately, the Provincial Education Ministry has issued a circular (number 02/2023) to ban fee-based tutoring classes for children in Grades 1 to 5 in primary schools in the Uva Province. The ban applies to classes conducted by teachers after school hours on weekends or holidays. The Ministry has warned that disciplinary action will be taken against teachers who do not comply with the ban and has deployed investigation teams to monitor the situation. The decision was made in response to complaints by the Uva Province Governor and the Ministry that school teachers were neglecting children who did not attend their extra classes, causing psychological distress and financial hardships for both children and parents. The ban is intended to ensure that every child in the province has access to quality education in schools.
