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CTSU demands clarification on overseas programme for teachers

16 Sep 2021

  • Asks Edu. Minister why cheaper study not facilitated in SL
By Buddhika Samaraweera  Demanding a clarification from Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena as to the need and basis of priority on the plan to send 54 officers of the Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service (SLEAS) to the UK to pursue a postgraduate degree programme at a cost of Rs. 8 million each, the Ceylon Teachers’ Services Union (CTSU) has pointed out that a similar programme can be followed in Sri Lanka at a lower cost. CTSU General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe recently claimed that the Education Ministry is preparing to send a group of SLEAS officers, selected contrary to the due process, to the UK to pursue a postgraduate degree programme at a cost of around Rs. 432 million. In this backdrop, the CTSU, in a letter to Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, claimed that it is questionable as to why these officers are being sent abroad when there are adequate facilities to study the same postgraduate course in Sri Lanka at a lower cost. “For almost two years, the education of school students has completely collapsed. In such a situation, Gunawardena should explain as to what basis of priority and need is the Education Ministry sending these SLEAS officers to the UK suddenly by spending Rs. 432 million in this manner," the letter read. On an earlier occasion, Jayasinghe said that it was planned to send these 54 SLEAS officers to the UK in two phases. According to him, 16 officers will leave in the first phase, while the remaining 38 officers will leave in the second phase. “The Education Ministry is to spend around Rs. 8 million for each of these officers. The Government always says that the country is in an economic crisis at present due to the Covid-19 pandemic. If so, how do they do this kind of thing in the face of such a crisis? Most importantly, most of the officers who are to leave for this course are selected based on personal favouritism,” he alleged. He also alleged that among them are also certain officers who have been accused of various corrupt acts, as well as several others who have been secretly holding discussions with Education Ministry Secretary Prof. Kapila Perera to sabotage the ongoing trade union actions that have been initiated by teachers and principals trade unions, in protest over what they claim is “the Government's failure to provide solutions to the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue”. Gunawardena was unavailable for comment on the matter.  


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