School attendance returning to normal: Ministry

The number of students attending school is gradually returning to normal levels compared to previous days, the Education Ministry said yesterday.

According to the Ministry, the highest turnout yesterday was reported from the Northern Province, while the Western Province recorded the least attendance.

All Muslim schools were on extended vacation because of the Ramadan season and that had also impacted the overall percentage of students, the Ministry said. Provincial and Zonal Education directors in the Northern, Eastern, Central, Western, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, North Central and the Uva provinces had sent in reports regarding the total attendance percentages students.

According to the report, schools in the Northern Province had recorded an increase of 60 per cent (90,200) students’ attendance by yesterday. 46 per cent (69,900) student arrivals had been recorded on Tuesday and 34.4 per cent attendance had been recorded on Monday.

Among the nine districts, Western Province recorded an increase of 13 per cent (73,522) yesterday, while there was a 9.33 per cent (53,996) increase on Tuesday. It was 4.93 per cent (28,548) on Monday. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)