Teacher transfers racially motivated, accuses Ampaa'rai civil society

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 April 2011, 02:09 GMT]
Ampaa'rai District Tamil, Muslim Social Federation (ADTMSF) in a statement accused Provincial Director of Education Mr.M.T.M. Nizam of of enforcing a racially motivated Teacher Transfer program, sources in the east said. Transfers of Tamil medium teachers remain in force, while transfers of Sinhala medium teachers have been suspended indefinitely, contrary to the earlier instruction issued by the Director of Education.

Earlier the Provincial Director issued transfer orders with effect from 1st May to 301 teachers who were over-staffed in Ampaa'rai education zone and Dehiyatakandy zone.

But now such transfers to Sinhala medium teachers have been suspended indefinitely but not to Tamil medium teachers. It is an unjust done to Tamil speaking people, ADTMSF said in a statement.

Tamil medium teachers in Kalmunai and Chaainthamaruthu areas held a demonstration against this unjust action Friday after Jumma prayers in Mosques, sources said.

A teacher who participated in the demonstration said the transfer to Tamil medium teachers could affect the education of students. The second term of schools begins on April 25.

The transfers made in the middle of the year would do more harm to education and schools that had been badly affected by the recent flood, another teacher said.

Meanwhile, Provincial Director said 1131 teachers are in schools in the zones of Trincomalee, Paddiruppu, Kalmunai, Akkaraippattu, Chammanthu'rai and Ampaa'rai without time tables assigned to them.

Rs 17m are being paid as salary to the excess capacity of teachers wasting the state fund, an educational administrator said.