Teachers’ Day Food and Gift Ban? Education Ministry Circular Is From 2016, Not New

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Teachers’ Day events in schools have, at times, involved class collections of money to buy gifts for teachers. Days before Teachers’ Day, a post spread on social media claiming that the Ministry of Education had issued a new order banning food and gifts at school Teachers’ Day events, to prevent unnecessary spending and inequality among students. Many users shared it believing it was a fresh directive, so we checked what the Ministry had actually said. Here is the post that carried the claim.

Social Media Posts:

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The post, uploaded on October 5, 2026, said that the Ministry of Education had ordered that food or gifts must not be given or received at events held in schools to mark Teachers’ Day. It said the measure was intended to prevent unnecessary spending in schools and inequality among students, and that Teachers’ Day should be celebrated only in a simple manner. Many people shared it believing it to be true.

We set out to check whether the Ministry had announced such a ban.

Fact-Check:

If the Ministry of Education had ordered such a ban ahead of Teachers’ Day, the mainstream media would have reported it. We found no news reports of any such order.

We then contacted the Secretary of the Ministry of Education. He said that the circular issued earlier was still in force and that no new announcement of this kind had been made.

The Prime Minister’s media secretary said the rule dates to 2016 and is strictly enforced

For further confirmation, we contacted the media secretary to Prime Minister and Education Minister Harini Amarasuriya. The media secretary said this was not a recently issued circular but one issued in 2016, and that it was currently being strictly enforced. The media secretary added that if money was collected in schools at various times for various events and a complaint reached the Ministry of Education, action would be taken.

Our research also found that on March 15, 2026, at an awareness programme on the new education reforms for principals and teachers of the Hambantota, Tangalle and Walasmulla education zones, the Prime Minister said that functions held in schools should be organized in a way that does not place a financial burden on parents. PM Office

Circular 33/2016 bars collecting money for teachers’ gifts

Circular No. 33/2016, which deals with rewards given to teachers by students and parents, said the Ministry of Education had been informed that money was being collected class by class to give rewards to class teachers and subject teachers at the end of the year and on Teachers’ Day.

The circular said that, despite earlier instructions, some groups continued to collect money from parents and give rewards, and teachers continued to accept such rewards and gifts. It said economically disadvantaged parents were put in an uncomfortable position on such occasions, their children suffered mental distress at school, and the right to free education was also affected.

It therefore directed that principals, teachers, and staff must not be permitted to give rewards, collect money or receive money, and that a teacher or staff member accepting rewards from students’ parents on a personal basis was misconduct warranting disciplinary action. It made principals and teachers responsible for ensuring that no party collected, gave, or accepted money or gifts for such purposes. It added that doing so directly or indirectly was an offence punishable under the Establishments Code and the Bribery Act. Link

Education ministers have warned against the practice before

Our research also found remarks on the subject by Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, who was Minister of Education at the time, at an event in November 2016.

In 2024, then Education Minister Dr. Susil Premajayantha also warned that strict action would be taken against people who collected money to buy gifts for teachers. Hiru News

Based on our research, the claim being shared as a dramatic new announcement by the Ministry of Education banning food and gifts at Teachers’ Day events is misleading.

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Conclusion:

Our fact-check found that the post claiming the Ministry of Education had announced a new ban on food and gifts at Teachers’ Day events is misleading. The Secretary of the Ministry of Education said that no new announcement had been made and that the circular issued earlier remained in force.

The media secretary to the Prime Minister and Education Minister explained that the rule in question is Circular No. 33/2016, issued in 2016 and currently being strictly enforced. It bars collecting money from parents to reward teachers and treats teachers accepting such rewards as misconduct. The rule is real, but the post presents an old circular as a new order.