School Inspectors, Sports Instructors on hold due to PC objections: AVK

Two programmes proposed by the Ministry of Education ( MoE), one to appoint School Inspectors and the other to recruit Sports Instructors, have been put on hold due to objections by the Provincial Councils ( PC), said Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariawasam.

"Both these proposals were meant to uplift the schools, but we cannot move ahead without the cooperation of the PCs," he said.

He said the School Inspectors were to visit schools and assist them to overcome their short- comings, if any, but there were objections to these appointments.

Cabinet has now suggested that the MoE use the current set of Supervisors to act as School Inspectors, instead of appointing new officials for such work.

The Minister said that his proposal was to appoint Inspectors with more power to act. “We will make an effort to get this programme going at least by next year," he said.

The Minister said that, in the case of the Sport s Instructors, the aim was to assist students get more involved in Sports activities.

He said these Instructors will be full time employees and be present in schools throughout the day. “We were planning to recruit 3,000 Sports Instructors, and conducted interviews as well, but the PCs have objected to these appointments too, on the grounds that these new appointees will have to be absorbed into the PC cadre," he said.

The Minister said a new Cabinet proposal will be needed to implement these two programmes afresh.