Teachers serving in several remote island schools in Jaffna have been deprived of their hardship allowances following a recent school classification revision, prompting urgent appeals for intervention by the Education Ministry.
In a letter addressed to the Education Ministry Secretary, Teachers’ Union General Secretary Joseph Stalin said that a significant number of teachers working in isolated island schools, including Delft, Analaitivu, Eluvaithivu and Nagadeepa, have been affected by the move.
According to the letter, 23 teachers from three schools in Analaitivu, 13 teachers from two schools in Eluvaithivu, 92 teachers from eight schools in Delft and 46 teachers from three schools in Nagadeepa have lost their hardship allowances.
The issue has arisen after these schools were removed from the list of difficult schools under School Classification Circular 01/2024 (1). The classification has reportedly been based on factors such as access to internet, water facilities and transport, while failing to consider the significant challenges faced by teachers who must travel by sea from Jaffna to reach these island schools.
Stalin alleged that Northern Provincial education authorities had failed to adequately highlight the difficulties related to sea access when submitting information to the Ministry, resulting in the suspension of allowances previously granted to these teachers.
He described the failure to rectify the issue and continue payments as an irresponsible act, stressing that teachers serving in these remote island schools face some of the most difficult working conditions in the country.
The letter also pointed out that several schools in other provinces have similarly lost their hardship allowances under the new classification, calling for a comprehensive review of the policy.
Concerns were also raised over the delay in implementing the increased hardship allowances proposed in the 2026 Budget, noting that teachers continue to receive the previous payments of Rs. 2,500 and Rs. 1,500.
The union has urged the Ministry to take immediate steps to reinstate the allowances and ensure that the revised payments approved in the budget are implemented without further delay.