Formal mechanism to provide travel allowances for teachers dedicated to maintaining digital equipment in schools
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that steps are being taken to streamline the maintenance and repair of digital educational equipment, including computers, multimedia projectors and Smart Boards in schools across the country, and that a formal mechanism will be established to provide travel allowances for teachers who are dedicated to carrying out this work.
The Prime Minister made these remarks in Parliament today (08), in response to a question raised by Member of Parliament Mr. Thurairasa Ravikaran.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated:
A pool of specially trained teachers has been established to carry out hardware and networking maintenance at school level. At present, 76 teachers have been assigned for this purpose across 13 education zones in the Northern Province. As a measure to address the existing shortage of teachers, this pool will be further expanded, with another group of teachers scheduled to receive specialised training in October 2026. We are also in the process of obtaining the necessary approvals to establish a formal payment mechanism to address existing issues relating to travel expenses and payments for teachers who are dedicated to carrying out these maintenance activities.
The Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education has provided additional financial allocations to the provinces for the repair of digital infrastructure. Accordingly, substantial funds have been allocated for 2025 and 2026, including for the North Western, Eastern and Northern Provinces. In addition, in collaboration with the Special Task Force, we are planning to update the guidelines on the maintenance of digital education infrastructure and issue them to schools in the future.
Further, steps have been taken to repair equipment whose warranty periods have expired by obtaining quotations at minimum rates, while measures are also being taken to train students at provincial level to participate in these maintenance activities.
Prime Minister’s Media Division