The Education Ministry has explained why only 17,688 names appeared on the initial interview list for teacher recruitment, despite a requirement to call 46,012 applicants.
Approval has been given to fill 23,600 teaching vacancies in Sinhala, Tamil and English-medium positions across national and provincial schools.
Under the Teacher Service Minute, twice the number of available vacancies should be called for interviews. That means 46,012 applicants should qualify for the interview process.
One Applicant Can Cover Several Vacancies
The Ministry said the 17,688 names on the initial list should not be treated as the total number of candidates who meet the interview requirement.
Some applicants qualified for several subjects and positions. Others qualified for vacancies in both national and provincial schools.
As a result, the Ministry said officials must assess the list by subject categories and the vacancies each applicant can cover.
One example involves 192 graduates already working in the public service under the limited recruitment scheme. Each had qualified in all eight subjects.
Together, those 192 applicants could cover 1,536 vacancies.
This overlap explains why the number of names on the list is lower than twice the total number of vacancies.
Some Subject Vacancies Still Lack Candidates
Despite the overall interview requirement being met, shortages remain in some subject areas.
The Ministry said 41 subject combinations across the provinces had no qualified applicants.
Another 124 subject combinations did not have enough eligible candidates to meet the required number.
After considering multiple subject qualifications, national and provincial positions, and other overlaps, the Ministry said approximately 46,018 applicants had qualified for the interview process.
That figure is slightly above the 46,012 candidates required under the recruitment process.
Last modified: October 20, 2026
