CTU rejects Government's Rs 113m-propaganda binge
The Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) last week said the Ministry of Education (MoE) intends to spend a massive Rs 113 million to propagate the Government’s plan to make 13 years of School Education compulsory.
CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin said that, though he is in favour of the programme, spending such a colossal sum just to propagate its policy, is a waste. "The monies could be otherwise used fruitfully," he said.
According to the 2017 Census & Statistics Dept Report, for every 100 schools, 3 schools have no Electricity and 16 schools have no potable water. "These basic needs can be rectified with the money," he said.
The MoE, defending its move, said creating awareness of the programme among the public is very important. An official confirmed that, though discussions are underway as to how best the programme could be propagated among the parents, no allocations have yet been made for the programme.
The MoE introduced the programme, ‘13 years Certified Education’ with the intention of providing Tertiary Education to students who do not get an opportunity to continue their education beyond their GCE Ordinary Level exams.
The new system will allow the students who do not pass the GCE Ordinary Level, to proceed to the Advanced Level and continue their education in vocational studies of their choice.