2015 Budget’s...
Mr Stalin added, “Even though the Budget has mentioned the grant of service payments for teachers and principals, the reality of the situation is that these payments were proposed by the Government in 2008, and in fact, rejected by the Unions.”
“Granting payments of Rs 2,200 to government servants, while promising them salary increments of Rs 10,000, and also promising motorcycles to teachers, but taking no action to implement these proposals, clearly points out that the Government hopes to carry out its campaign for the Presidential election by giving baseless promises,” he alleged.
Earlier, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said in his Budget speech, “Pre-school teachers will also receive an allowance of Rs 2,500. We will also create a loan facility of Rs 10,000 for these teachers, for their day-to-day needs.”
“An Education Ministry newspaper advertisement on October 25, stated that the Ministry will grant all promotions due since 2008, whereas the Gazette stated that only promotions due from 2011 will be granted. This is clearly misleading these teachers and the people,” Mr Jayasingha said.
“As a Union, we hope to take steps to curtail these false promises and bring justice to the Education sector,” Mr Stalin said.
Ceylon Teacher’s Services Union (CTSU) Secretary, Mahinda Jayasingha pointed out, “Teachers’ promotions had been suspended since 2008, but the Budget states that they would be paid from November 2011. This is a threeyear loss of arrears.”
He added, “The Rs 40 billion needed to pay these arrears have not been allocated in the 2015 Budget.”
Mr. Jayasingha charged that the President had earlier made similar promises to grant promotions and arrears, prior to the Presidential election in 2010, but not granted for the last four years. ments to the subject and bring the local syllabus on par with other countries.”
“If Cabinet approval is granted, steps will be taken for the GCE O/L Maths paper to conform with the Report’s recommendations,” Minister Gunawardena said. 4,000 possible exam centres under consideration, and are yet to be finalised,” he added.
Mr Pushpakumara further said, “We hope to implement the tuition class ban five days prior to the exam.”
At present, Wayamba University consists of 4 Faculties and 16 Departments of Study. It is set to gradually increase the intake of students with an additional 100 students in 2016, with the introduction of Business Studies & Finance and Applied Science, under separate Departments of Study.