Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) Joseph Stalin has raised concerns over significant discrepancies in government and United Nations assessments of how many schoolchildren were affected by recent floods and landslides.
Stalin said there was still no accurate accounting of the number of students and teachers who died in the disaster, noting that conflicting figures were hampering relief and recovery efforts.
UNICEF estimates that at least 275,000 children were affected, while Education Ministry statistics place the number at nearly 100,000 — a difference of hundreds of thousands.
He urged the Education Ministry to explain what support affected students would receive through the state-run Suraksha insurance scheme, adding that families needed clarity as they struggled to recover.
As of noon on December 10, the nationwide death toll stood at 639, with 193 people still unaccounted for.
Officials said 18 million people were affected overall, and more than 85,000 remained in safe locations after being displaced by the severe weather.
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