Action demanded on shortage of teachers in North-East

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 May 2004, 18:05 GMT]
The Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union (CTTU) Wednesday urged the North East Provincial Governor, Major General Asoka Jayawardene, to take immediate steps to appoint three thousand Tamil medium teachers to northeast schools which have been affected by acute teacher shortage. Currently about 6000 vacancies for Tamil medium teachers in the northeast schools are not filled. Mr.T.Mahasivam, General Secretary of the CTTU, told the Governor at a discussion held Wednesday at the latter's office Wednesday, sources said.

Mr.Mahasivam said of the three thousand Tamil medium teachers, 1000 should be selected from graduates, 825 from part time English teachers, 750 from volunteer teachers and the balance 430 should be distributed among those qualified from Open University, Technical Colleges and English diploma holders.

Provincial Education Ministry Mr.R.Thiagalingam, Provincial Director of Education S.Visahalingam and Provincial Senior Assistant Secretary of Education Mr.M.K.M.Haniffa were present during the discussion.

A delegation of the CTTU, led by its General Secretary, Mr.T.Mahasivam, Wednesday met with the Governor and submitted several demands that have not been implemented during the People's Alliance (PA) government and later in the UNF rule.

Mr. Susil Premajayanth, when he was the Minister of Education in the PA government, gave an assurance to the CTTU that he would take immediate steps to absorb the performing Assistant Directors of Education into the permanent cadre in the northeast zonal education offices. But it was not implemented.

Likewise he promised to obtain a special cabinet approval to fill the vacancies in the Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service in the northeast. But it was not also implemented during his tenure of office.

Mr.Mahasivam brought all these to the notice of the provincial governor during his discussion, sources said

The governor was told that the results of the special competitive examination held to recruit required cadre for the Sri Lanka Educational Administrative Service has not yet been released.

The Governor is reported to have assured the CTTU general secretary that he would forward all the demands to the Education Ministry Secretary, Ms. Tara de Mel, and the President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge, who holds the post of Education and Higher Education Minister, sources said.