The government will prioritize teacher recruitment by the end of this year to address shortages in the Northern, North Central and Eastern provinces, Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Harini Amarasuriya said.Speaking at a meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education at Parliament premises on Thursday (06), the Prime Minister said the upcoming recruitment drive would place special emphasis on filling vacancies in the three provinces.She also stressed the need for a long-term strategy to prevent teacher shortages from recurring in those areas.

She instructed officials to expedite ongoing school building and infrastructure development projects in the three provinces. The committee also reviewed the progress of subcommittees established under its supervision, including those focusing on human resource management and higher education.During the meeting, certificates were presented to members of the committee appointed to recommend the establishment of an Education Council in Sri Lanka.Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education Madhura Seneviratne, Deputy Minister of Vocational Education Nalin Hewage, Members of Parliament, Education Ministry Secretary Nalaka Kaluwewa and senior ministry officials attended the meeting.