Colombo: More than 600 schools in three cyclone-affected provinces of Sri Lanka will not reopen for the third term of the 2025 academic year, and students will be promoted without examinations, the Ministry of Education said on Tuesday.

The ministry has directed schools not to conduct third-term tests for students of Grades 6 to 10 in the affected areas. At least 640 schools will remain closed due to extensive damage caused by the cyclone, Education Ministry Secretary Nalaka Kaluwewa said.

He said regional education officers have been instructed to promote students to the next grade without holding term examinations. Although schools were scheduled to reopen on Tuesday, the final decision has been left to provincial and district authorities, depending on local conditions, Deputy Education Minister Madhura Seneviratne said.

Sri Lanka's government-run schools generally follow a three-term academic year, though the system is not uniformly adopted across all institutions.

Meanwhile, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the government was formulating a long-term plan to protect the central hill areas, which were among the worst affected by the disaster. Addressing the National Council for Disaster Management, he said around 15,000 homes had been identified as vulnerable.

The President said 8,000 new houses would be completed by the end of next year and officials had been asked to expedite the payment of Rs 25,000 in flood relief to each affected household.

Officials informed the council that about 2.2 million people were impacted by the cyclone, with 6,164 houses destroyed and over 1.12 lakh partially damaged.