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No decision on Air Force teachers

04 Jan 2021

  • Only a suggestion: Education Ministry

  By Hiranyada Dewasiri   The Ministry of Education has not arrived at a decision regarding the use of Air Force personnel to teach mathematics and IT in rural schools, despite reports to the contrary on certain websites and social media, The Morning learnt. Responding to our inquiries, Secretary to the Ministry of Education Prof. Kapila Perera said yesterday (3) that the idea of deploying Air Force personnel to teach in rural schools was merely a suggestion made by Air Force Commander Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana. “The Air Force Commander made this suggestion while he was seated next to me. It has not even progressed to the discussion stage yet,” Prof. Perera said. He stressed that the Ministry of Education has not received any official requests in this regard from the Air Force. However, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-affiliated Ceylon Teachers’ Services Union (CTSU) General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe told The Morning that vacancies in the teaching service should be filled with professional teachers. “It is wrong to appoint the military or people from other services to fill those vacancies. The military and teachers have their own respective duties, and these duties shouldn’t be confused,” noted Jayasinghe. Speaking to The Morning, Ceylon Teachers' Union (CTU) General Secretary Joseph Stalin said that students from rural schools deserve trained teachers. “About 1,200 teachers were appointed to national schools instead of being appointed to rural schools that need teachers. Rural schools have vacancies because the Ministry of Education lacks a placement policy,” he stated. Meanwhile, noting that the CTSU has not received any official communications regarding the use of Air Force personnel to teach at rural schools, CTSU General Secretary Jayasinghe emphasised that the CTSU would vehemently oppose any such move, as the military’s duty is to handle matters such as national security and not teaching. “If the military can be deployed for everything, we don’t need separate services; the military could do everything. We have special services because individuals have been trained with a special set of skills. Just because someone knows English, they cannot teach English without being trained to do so.” When asked about teachers awaiting school appointments, Prof. Perera said that those teachers would receive their appointments first, and other suggestions would be considered only if there are any vacancies left. “Air Force personnel were suggested to be used as teachers only in rural schools where professional teachers are reluctant to be appointed to,” he said. A total of 3,772 diploma holders from the National Colleges of Education, who completed their exams in March 2020, are set to receive their school appointments by 15 January, according to the Ministry of Education.


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