About the Circular

The Ministry of Education has issued Circular No. 25/2026 containing the official procedures, eligibility requirements, selection categories, interview arrangements, appeals procedure and application forms for Grade One admissions in 2027.

Age and Basic Eligibility

• The child should have completed five years of age on or before 31 January 2027.
• The child's age should be confirmed using an acceptable birth certificate or another officially accepted document.
• Children who are six years of age or older may be considered only after eligible children below six years have been admitted and subject to the availability of vacancies.
• Parents or legal guardians must use the application form included in the official circular.

Number of Students Admitted

For each parallel Grade One class, 35 children are expected to be selected through the normal admission process.

An additional allocation of up to five places is available under the relevant special category for eligible children connected to the Armed Forces and Police. Therefore, the total number may reach 40 students per parallel class.

Admission Categories

Vacancies are allocated among the following principal admission categories:

Important Application Instructions

• Complete the prescribed application form included in the circular.
• Submit the application to the principal of the relevant school before the closing date.
• Attach copies of the documents required to prove the selected admission category.
• Clearly mention the admission category under which the application is submitted.
• When an applicant is eligible under more than one category, separate applications should be submitted according to the instructions in the circular.
• Where a school provides both Sinhala and Tamil media, an application should be submitted under only one medium. The medium cannot normally be changed after admission.
• Original documents should be produced when requested for the interview or verification process.

Grade One Admission Timetable

Document Verification

Details provided in applications may be checked through document verification, interviews, official records and residence verification where necessary.