School hours to remain unchanged under 2027 education reforms

School hours will remain from 7.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. when the Government introduces its new education reforms next year, Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Madhura Seneviratne said.

Responding to questions over earlier proposals to change the school timetable, Seneviratne said the Government had decided to retain the existing hours after considering both curriculum requirements and the wider transport system.

He said changes to the curriculum had to be assessed according to the amount of teaching that could realistically be accommodated within the school day.

Experts involved in developing the new curriculum had considered the time required for individual subjects, with a teaching period set at around 40 minutes, he said.

“Within that framework, it is possible to operate the education system from 7.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m.,” Seneviratne said.

He added that school hours could not be considered separately from other systems on which students and parents depend.

Sri Lanka’s public transport network, in particular, is largely organised around office hours and several peak travel periods during the day, he said.

Any significant change to school starting or closing times could therefore create difficulties for students using public transport and place additional pressure on the existing transport system.

Seneviratne said the decision to maintain the current timetable had consequently taken both educational requirements and practical transport considerations into account.