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Teacher appointments: Deans ‘scaring off’ students

04 Jan 2021

By Hiranyada Dewasiri   Certain deans and lecturers from national colleges of education have been attempting to “scare off” diploma holders from partaking in a protest scheduled to be conducted today (4) at 10 a. m., the Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union (CTSU) alleged. Speaking to The Morning yesterday (3), CTSU General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe said: “Threats are being circulated that these diploma holders will not receive their formal appointments in time if they take part in the protest. These are hollow threats.” The CTSU protest, which will be held in front of Isurupaya today, is to demand the assignment of schools for teachers based on the criteria through which they were admitted to national colleges of education and protest the Ministry’s alleged failure to make these appointments before 31 December 2020 as promised. Responding to questions about the career security of diploma holders, as they are not trade union members yet due to not having received their appointments, Jayasinghe claimed that the CTSU will be taking full responsibility for the safety of the participants and that one need not be a trade union member to protest. “The diploma holders are protesting precisely because they have not received their appointments yet.” When contacted by The Morning on 30 December, Secretary to the Ministry of Education Prof. Kapila Perera said that a total of 3,772 diploma holders from national colleges of education, who completed their exams in March 2020, are set to receive their formal school appointments by 15 January. However, speaking to The Morning yesterday, Jayasinghe said that they have not received any official communications from the Ministry regarding any such new date. “We requested a discussion with the Ministry on 14 December, but we have been given a discussion yet.” Speaking to The Morning, Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) General Secretary Joseph Stalin said that the CTU will not be joining the protest today since they have not received an invitation. However, he said the CTU supports the demands of the diploma holders.


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