Education Ministry stresses location allowance delays due to incomplete school submissions

The Ministry of Education has reaffirmed that the welfare of teachers and staff remains a top priority, particularly for those serving in rural, remote, and maritime localities. Permanent Secretary for Education, Navin Raj Shayam, says the Location Allowance is a benefit designed to support those who work in challenging geographic areas. However, he says the Ministry reports that while 1,038 schools are eligible for this allowance, the majority of applications have been processed, with the remaining applications still in progress due to late submissions. Shayam says that to ensure accountability, transparency and the responsible use of public funds, the Ministry applies a structured verification process. He says schools compile and submit their staff lists and supporting documents to their respective districts, district offices then review the submissions for accuracy, transparency and compliance and once verified at the district level, the data is sent to the Ministry’s Human Resource section for final data entry and secondary verification. The Permanent Secretary highlights that some delays were caused by non-compliance with the established submission deadline of 4th December 2025 by several schools. He adds that a significant number of submissions did not adhere to the mandatory documentation requirements.

Notably, several schools submitted birth certificates instead of the required marriage certificates, leading to unnecessary delays and requests for resubmission. Shayam says the Ministry is actively working to finalise and process all remaining valid and compliant submissions. He says school heads and district administrators are strongly urged to strictly adhere to submission timelines and documentation guidelines to prevent further delays in future disbursements.