Following reports that several leading schools are operating without principals, the Ministry of Education stated that interviews to fill these vacancies will be conducted in the coming days.

Recent reports revealed that seven leading schools in Colombo, including Royal College, along with many others in various areas, are operating without principals.

When queried by The Daily Morning as to whether they have taken steps to resolve the issue, Education Ministry Secretary Nalaka Kaluwewa said that applications have already been called from suitable candidates to fill the vacancies. "We have received applications from the candidates. The interviews will be held in the coming days to select them."

Some of the schools in Colombo currently running without principals are: the Devi Balika Vidyalaya, the Prince of Wales College in Moratuwa, the Hindu College, the Isipathana College, the Lumbini Vidyalaya, and the Piliyandala Central College. It was also reported that a total of 46 schools in other areas such as the Bandaranaike College in Gampaha, the Sangamitta College in Galle, the Dharmashoka Vidyalaya in Ambalangoda, the Rajapaksa Vidyalaya in Weeraketiya, and the Anuradhapura Central College are also lacking principals.

Meanwhile, school principals representing six unions recently filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, urging it to recommend that the Education Ministry provide solutions to the issues faced by principals. In the complaint, they claimed that principals are facing several issues such as certain categories of officials in the Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service being appointed as principals in violation of the due procedures, curtailing the basic salary of principals when they are upgraded to Grade One from Grade Two, and the ministry not working to grant promotions to principals even when they possess the required qualifications.