Union refutes Akila’s statement

Ceylon Teachers’ Union has refuted Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam’s statement that the shortage of teachers in difficult area schools could be resolved by re-employing retired teachers.

He said 1,272 out of 2,364 that had passed out from the Institute of Education in 2018 had been appointed to national schools in Colombo and Kandy

General Secretary of the union Joseph Stalin said that the education minister had stated that he would soon submit a cabinet paper seeking approval to re-employ retired teachers and that it would be a futile attempt. He pointed out that the schools in difficult areas were facing a shortage of teachers although the student– teacher ratio in Sri Lanka was 20:1 and that it was due to the haphazard placement of teachers.

The trade union leader said the Ministry of Education and the Provincial Education Departments appointed and transferred teachers on political influence creating an excess of teachers in popular schools and a shortage in difficult area schools. He said 1,272 out of 2,364 that had passed out from the Institute of Education in 2018 had been appointed to national schools in Colombo and Kandy. He pointed out that the requirements of difficult area schools had not been taken into consideration when appointing graduate teachers recruited by provincial councils.