School Development Boards Act, No. 8 of 1993
Commenced on February 26, 1993, this Act formalized parental and community involvement in school management across Sri Lanka. It mandates the creation of a School Development Board for every school, blending school administration with community representation. The Act comprises 16 sections covering establishment, administration, finance, and general provisions.
Full text: CommonLII Database (Act No. 8 of 1993).
Act Structure
The Act's 16 sections can be grouped into four functional areas:
| Area | Sections | Key Provisions |
|---|---|---|
| Establishment | 1-4 | Board for every school, composition (Principal as Chairman, teachers, parents, alumni, well-wishers), disqualifications |
| Administration | 5-9 | Tenure of members, meeting protocols, Secretary, Board functions & advisory powers, sub-committees |
| Finance | 10-11 | School Development Fund (mandatory), Treasurer appointment |
| General | 12-16 | Dissolution/reconstitution, ministerial regulations, transitional provisions, linguistic supremacy, interpretation |
Statutory Bodies
The Act creates two institutional structures replicated at every school — a governance Board and a financial Fund.
Key Provisions
A Board for Every School (Section 2)
Section 2 mandates that a School Development Board shall be established for every single school in Sri Lanka. This is one of the most broadly applied statutory body provisions in Sri Lankan legislation — creating potentially thousands of individual Boards.
Board Composition (Section 3)
Each Board merges school administration with the community:
| Category | Members | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Ex-officio | Principal | Chairman |
| Ex-officio | Senior Deputy Principal | Member |
| Elected/Nominated | 3 Teachers | Members |
| Elected/Nominated | Parents of current pupils | Members |
| Elected/Nominated | Past pupils (alumni) | Members |
| Elected/Nominated | Local well-wishers | Members |
Disqualifications (Section 4)
Individuals are disqualified from serving on a Board if they are:
- A Member of Parliament
- Under 18 years of age
- Of unsound mind
- An undischarged bankrupt
- Subject to a criminal sentence of imprisonment
The explicit exclusion of Members of Parliament is notable — it was designed to prevent political interference in school-level governance.
Board Functions (Section 8)
This is the core operational section, granting sweeping advisory and supportive powers:
| Function | Description |
|---|---|
| Advisory | Advise the Principal on school development and curriculum improvements |
| Assessment | Assess current needs and performance of the school |
| Extracurricular | Promote sports, literature, aesthetics, cultural and moral activities |
| Collaboration | Foster collaboration between parents, teachers, and students |
| Infrastructure | Assist in maintenance and development of buildings, libraries, and equipment |
| Welfare | Manage distribution of school books, mid-day meal stamps, and uniforms |
| Fundraising | Foster community financial and material contributions |
| Media | Manage interaction with the media |
School Development Fund (Section 10)
Every Board must establish and maintain a School Development Fund to:
- Finance Board activities and school development initiatives
- Collect community contributions and donations
- A Treasurer (Section 11) is mandated to manage the Fund and ensure transparent accounting
Dissolution & Reconstitution (Section 12)
The Minister has the power to dissolve non-functioning or problematic Boards and prescribe steps for reconstituting new ones — ensuring accountability even at the grassroots level.
Amendment History
The Act has never been amended since its enactment in 1993 — over 30 years of legislative stability. The 16 sections passed by Parliament remain the exact legal framework today.
While the Act itself is un-amended, Section 13 empowers the Minister to issue regulations via government gazettes. Operational details and circulars governing Boards are frequently updated through this mechanism, but the foundational Act remains unchanged.
Amendment Timeline
Cross-References
Provincial Councils
Education is a devolved subject under the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. Provincial Councils oversee school administration at the provincial level, and School Development Boards operate within this devolved framework.
Education Ordinance
The broader framework legislation for education administration. School Development Boards function alongside the administrative structures established by the Education Ordinance.
Entity Relationships & Governance
Governance Hierarchy (1952 Design)
Current Replacement Structure (Post-1989)
Data Confidence
Research Gaps
The following areas require further investigation:
- Total Board count: How many School Development Boards are currently constituted across Sri Lanka's ~10,000+ schools
- Compliance rate: What percentage of schools have active, functioning Boards vs. dormant or non-existent ones
- Regulations under Section 13: Content and current status of ministerial regulations issued under the Act
- Fund financial data: Aggregate financial data across all School Development Funds — total contributions, typical fund sizes
- Audit oversight: Whether School Development Funds are subject to provincial or national audit requirements
- Dissolution history: How many Boards have been dissolved under Section 12 and the circumstances
- Transitional outcomes: How the 1993 transition from informal parent-teacher associations (Section 14) was implemented in practice
- Provincial variations: Whether different Provincial Councils have interpreted or implemented the Act differently
- Well-wisher criteria: How "well-wishers" are identified and nominated in practice
- Impact studies: Whether any government or academic studies have assessed the effectiveness of School Development Boards on school performance