Government schools and government-approved private schools will close for the August holidays on Friday (7) and reopen on Monday, September 7, the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education has announced.
The first phase of the 2026 third school term ends tomorrow for Sinhala and Tamil medium schools. Muslim schools will complete the same phase later, on Wednesday, September 2.
The second phase of the third term begins for all schools on Monday, September 7, and runs through Friday, December 4, 2026.
The Ministry also confirmed that the 2026 G.C.E. Advanced Level examination will be held from August 10 to September 5 — meaning the examination will take place across the school vacation period, with candidates sitting papers while classes are suspended.
The announcement was issued by the Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education.
The closure lands at the end of a difficult stretch for schools. Adverse weather across several districts had raised questions in recent days about whether major examinations would be postponed; authorities confirmed this week that the Advanced Level and Grade 5 Scholarship examinations will proceed as scheduled, with contingency arrangements in place for affected areas.
