The director of the temple school branch of the Ministry of Education, Ven. Walaswewe Gnanarathana Thero, has issued instructions to the temple schools to ordain novice monks and register them with the Department of Buddhist Affairs.

The temples that ordain ten or more such novice monks can open a new temple school with the full assistance of the government.

The Sri Lanka government set the target of ordaining 2550 novice monks to commemorate the 2550th anniversary of the passing of the Buddha, which fell last year. However, fewer parents are agreeing to give up their children for ordination.