NCE Senior Lecturers charge PSC denied them promotions

National College of Education (NCE) Senior Lecturers charged that the Public Service Commission had failed to carry out an order issued by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) to grant promotions to around 20 NCE Senior Lecturers who were qualified for the Vice President Grade.

Addalaichenai NCE Senior Lecturer A.L.S.A. Sathar said it is over 9 months since the order was issued by the AAT but, the Education Ministry has yet to grant them their promotions.

He said they had legitimate claims, as they sat for the Class 2-1 promotion exams called by the Education Ministry through the gazette notification of December 7, 2012, and thereafter, participated in the interview held between February 12 & 15, 2013.

However, the Education Ministry had, by letter dated March 11, 2014, to the applieants, denied them promotions, stating they did not possess the required Postgraduate Diploma in Education Management (PDEM).

He said, following this, 4 Senior NCE Lecturers had sought legal action at the AAT against the PSC.

However, on December 8, 2015, the AAT set aside the PSC decision to deny promotions to the Senior Lecturers, saying the applieants’ legitimate expectations were quashed by the two interpretations of the PSC, on a particular clause in the Service Minute.

According to the PSC's interpretation of paragraph 15 (1) of the Sri Lanka Teachers Educators Service Minute, Senior Lecturers completing 45 years on 01.01.1995, were exempted from the PDEM requirement.

However, the earlier interpretation was that, all candidates who are 45 years of age, at the time of the promotion, be exempted from the PDEM.