CTU concerned about lack of teacher recruitments in NCP

The Ceylon Teachers’ Union expressed concern about the shortage of trained teachers in the country and warned that this situation would seriously affect schools in the North Central Province (NCP).

President of the Ceylon Teachers’ Union Priyantha Fernando told the media that next year, due to the government neglecting to fill vacancies created as a result of retirements and transfers, schools in the North Central Province would be crippled due to a shortage of more than 3000 teachers.

Trained teachers from Education institutes had not been sent to the NCP in 2013 and 2014

He pointed out that schools in the NCP were already short of 1400 teachers and that more than 2000 teachers were due to retire next year while another 300 teachers would be eligible for transfers and therefore leave for another province.

“Trained teachers from Education institutes had not been sent to the NCP in 2013 and 2014, one reason being that teachers, who considered the NCP as a difficult area to live in, were reluctant to take up appointments there. The only way to resolve the issue is to appointed unemployed graduates after providing them an in-service training. However, whatever they decide has to happen now or the education sector in the NCP would suffer a serious setback,” he said

However, the government has stated that provincial councils could only recruit graduates and diploma holders to fill teacher vacancies while teachers of other grades should be appointed by the Ministry of Education.