"Hold Tamil medium teacher recruitment exam in NE" - CTTU

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 December 2003, 19:18 GMT]
The Ceylon Tamil Teachers' Union (CTTU) and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) have protested to the United National Front (UNF) government that the advertisement published by the Ministry of Human Development Resources, Education and Cultural Affairs calling for applications for the appointment of one thousand G.C.E. (Advanced Level) qualified teachers to Tamil medium schools in northeast province is "faulty and imperfect," according to a memoranda submitted to Ministry of Education, sources said.

"GCE (advanced level) level teachers should be recruited on a district/divisional basis, with permanent residential qualification, to ensure that the teachers will continue to serve in the district/province to which they have been recruited. This has been the practice in previous recruitment.

"The present advertisement, however, enables applicants from anywhere in the country to apply. Applicants from other parts of the country will request transfers outside the North-East after some time. The resolution of the problem of severe shortage of Tamil medium teachers in the North-East cannot be achieved by such recruitment. It is not understood why past practice has not been followed. Such recruitment also deprives youth in the North-East, much deprived in the field of employment, of a rare opportunity. This is unjust and should not be allowed," Tamil National Alliance parliamentary group leader Mr.Sampanthan said in a memorandum to the Prime Minister and Minister of Education.

Mr.Sampanthan requested the UNF government to take steps to hold the competitive examination recruit the 1000 GCE (A/L/) qualified teachers to northeast Tamil medium schools in the eight districts of northeast province instead of holding it in Colombo as already advertised.

"It is expected that there would be around 50,000 applicants from all districts in the North-East. To have the written examination only in Colombo, would subject the large number of applicants from the North-East to a great deal of hardship. Holding a written examination is against the basic examination principle observed by the Department of Examination in normal times. The examination should be conducted in the eight districts of the North-East," said Mr.Sampanthan in his communication to the authorities concerned.

"In view of the long delay in the recruitment of teachers in Tamil medium schools in the North-East, it is strongly felt that there should be adjustment in the present maximum age of 30 years. Considering the fact that Tamil youth in the North-East have suffered much deprivation in the field of employment, a reasonable adjustment in the maximum age limit would seem appropriate," said Mr.Sampanthan.