Circular 01/2025: Special Facilities for Students with Special Needs
Circular 01/2025: Special Facilities for Students with Special Needs — Learning, Teaching & Examinations
The Ministry of Education has issued Circular 01/2025, providing a comprehensive Instruction Manual to ensure students with special needs receive tailored facilities throughout their school learning journey and national examinations — effective from 2025.
📌 Overview & Purpose
Circular No. 01/2025 (Reference: ED/9/18/8/15, dated 30.07.2025) is issued by the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education. It provides a comprehensive Instruction Manual to ensure students with special needs receive appropriate facilities in all schools and during national examinations — effective from the year 2025.
Core Purpose: To remove and/or reduce the obstacles and difficulties faced by students with special needs compared to normal students — in learning, teaching, assessment, and national examinations.
This circular builds on Circular No. 33/2022 (dated 08.09.2022) and Circular No. 37/2020. "Applicants with special needs" refers to examination candidates listed in Annexure 02 of the Instruction Manual.
Scope: Applies to all government schools, government-approved private schools, teachers' colleges and national colleges of education across all provinces and zones in Sri Lanka.
📝 National Examinations & Interview Process
The Department of Examinations, Sri Lanka will provide special examination facilities to eligible students. However, schools must follow this circular in the learning-teaching process to ensure students can use these exam facilities without hindrance.
Covered National Examinations
Mandatory Interview Timeline
Every student with special needs must attend two interviews with the Department of Examinations — one in the year before the exam, and one in the exam year itself:
Important: It is the principal's responsibility to refer students for both interviews. Students must also obtain the recommendation of the Special Education Assessment Committee of their education zone before applying for national exam facilities.
🗺️ Zonal Director's Duties
- Appoint the Zonal Assessment Committee on Special Education per Circulars 37/2020 and 33/2022
- Make principals aware of this circular's requirements
- Provide guidance to schools with special needs children
- Mediate to assure students' right to sit examinations alongside general students
- Give instructions to principals on correct exam applications for special needs students
🏫 Principal's Key Duties
Principals carry the greatest responsibility in implementing this circular. Key duties include:
Special Autism Provision: For students with Autism who have difficulty with external visual stimuli, a three-sided cubicle must be provided using cardboard or sacks. This same cubicle can be used for national examinations — schools must prepare and maintain these.
👩🏫 Teacher's Responsibilities
- Identify all students with deficiencies and refer to a physician and the Zonal Assessment Committee
- Support students and help facilitate aids — wheelchairs, hearing aids, spectacles, hand lenses
- Orient students on correct and consistent use of aids and equipment
- Arrange classroom support from all other students and prepare an inclusive classroom environment
- Complete Form 1 in the year before and the year of the examination and submit to the Principal
- Properly implement special examination facilities in school evaluations
- Educate the entire school community about students with disabilities and the support they need
- Involve parents at class circle / parent meetings to understand student needs
- Intervene to ensure students with disabilities attend school continuously and actively
👨👩👧 Instructions for Parents of Special Needs Students
Principals are responsible for informing parents on all of the following:
- Be informed about the student's identified weakness in the classroom
- Refer the student to a doctor for medical recommendations and to the Zonal Assessment Committee
- Ensure continuous school attendance of the student
- Provide the necessary support at home for the student's educational process
- Use special learning methods and exam facilities at home based on the child's disability
- Know about institutions and opportunities providing free and paid support
- Use aids correctly — white cane, hearing aid, spectacles, wheelchair, crutch
- Be aware the student must attend Dept. of Examinations interviews in exam year and prior year
- Receive and keep the special examination facility letter when issued
- Appeal immediately if amendments are needed to the approved exam facilities
- Inform the exam hall in-charge before the exam about the student's approved facilities
- Report to the principal immediately if approved facilities are not provided on exam day
🎓 Grade 5 Scholarship — 250 Special Places
Under Ministry of Education Circular No. 37/2020, 250 scholarships and special privileges are reserved exclusively for students with special needs sitting the Grade 5 Scholarship Examination under special education examination facilities.
Selection Method: The 250 scholarship holders are selected based on sequential marks order from the scholarship examination, among low-income differently-abled children. Only the initial application is required — no additional forms needed. Teachers, students and parents must all be made aware of this opportunity.
📥 Download Official Circular & Manual
Download the full official Circular No. 01/2025 with the complete Instruction Manual in all three official languages of Sri Lanka.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Who qualifies as a "student with special needs" under this circular?
Students are defined as per Annexure 02 of the Instruction Manual, in accordance with Circular No. 33/2022 dated 08.09.2022 of the Secretary to the Ministry of Education. These include students with physical, sensory, intellectual and other recognised disabilities.
From which year do these facilities apply in schools?
From the year 2025. All schools and relevant parties are required to act in accordance with this circular and the Instruction Manual from 2025 onwards.
Does a student need to attend interviews every time they sit a national exam?
Yes. Two interviews are mandatory — one in the year prior to the exam and one in the actual exam year. If a student is repeating an exam, they must attend the interview in the year of the repeat as well. It is the principal's responsibility to refer students for these interviews.
What is the special cubicle requirement for students with Autism?
Students with Autism who have difficulty with external visual stimuli must be provided with a three-sided cubicle that blocks their view of the external environment. Schools must prepare these using cardboard or sacks — and the same cubicle may be used during national examinations.
How are the 250 Grade 5 scholarships for special needs students awarded?
250 scholarship places are reserved for low-income differently-abled children who sit the Grade 5 Scholarship Examination under special examination facilities. Selection is purely based on sequential marks order. Only an initial application is needed — no additional forms are required.
What should a parent do if the approved exam facilities are not provided on exam day?
The parent or candidate must inform the principal immediately on the first day of the exam. The principal then contacts the Department of Examinations to rectify the situation promptly.
Who signed Circular 01/2025?
The circular was signed by Nalaka Kaluwewa, Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education. Reference: ED/9/18/8/15, dated 30.07.2025.
%20%E2%80%93%20Academic%20Year%2020252026%20(1).png)
%20%E2%80%93%20Academic%20Year%2020252026.png)
No comments