N, E Pre-School Teachers must come under Prov.Ed.Min.:CTU

The Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) this week said Government should absorb Pre-School Teachers (PST) working in the North and East into the mainstream, for quality Education to children in those areas.

CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin said that, since the war ended, the administration of pre-schools in the North and East has been assigned to the Civil Defence Forces (CDF) and the PSTs paid by them.

Accordingly, the PSTs in the Northern Province are paid an allowance of Rs 6,000 and those in the Eastern Province ( EP), Rs 3,000.

"This is insufficient to get by, and they are suffering untold financial hardships," Mr Stalin said.

Meanwhile, last week, the 3,357 PSTs in 1,834 pre-schools in the EP, complained of not getting paid for the last 4 months.

“This is wrong, they are already underpaid and now, they are not paid at all," Mr Stalin charged.

The CTU said that, now there is no reason for the CDF to be in charge of pre- schools, as the war ended 9 years ago. "The CDF is not managing the preschools properly, while the teachers are underpaid and go without payment," he said.

"This must end and the pre-schools in the North and East be brought under the Provincial Education Ministries. Qualified teachers should be recruited to provide quality Education for the children," he said. - CC