The education sector in Sri Lanka is currently in turmoil as teachers and principals have initiated a nationwide strike, significantly disrupting schools across the country. On the first day of the strike week before last, 10,000 schools were reported to be closed. The strike is rooted in various grievances, including salary discrepancies, inadequate working conditions, and a demand for greater respect for the teaching profession.
The strike, which has led to widespread school closures, is a powerful demonstration of the educators’ dissatisfaction. Teachers and principals are unified in their demand for better pay and improved facilities. The strike is not just about financial compensation, but also about the recognition of the critical role educators play in shaping the nation’s future. The disruption caused by the strike is a clear indication of the severity of the issues faced by the education sector.
Adding to the ongoing protests, teachers launched a sick leave campaign on 26-28 June, aimed at highlighting their grievances further and increasing pressure on the Government to address their demands. The coordinated sick leave protest was expected to exacerbate the current disruption in schools and amplify the teachers’ call for immediate action on their issues.
A parent speaking to The Sunday Morning on conditions of anonymity noted: “Trade union action has taken place, disrupting the education of the school children since the school terms started after the April holidays. Our children are once again faced with uncertainty.”
Meanwhile, Ceylon Teachers’ Union Secretary Joseph Stalin stated: “The primary issue driving the strike is the Government’s failure to fully implement salary increases recommended by a special committee last year. The Government only provided one-third of the recommended increase, leaving educators demanding the remaining two-thirds. Furthermore, if our demands are not met as promised, we will withdraw from the Ordinary Level exam paper marking activities.”
Government blamed
While the Government sub-committee last year acknowledged the problems with the salary structure and proposed solutions to be implemented within six months, no significant progress has been made. Stalin emphasised that the government was responsible for the disruption caused by the sick leave campaign.
He criticised the Government’s reliance on parents to cover additional education costs, arguing that this undermined the principles of a free education system. “The Ceylon Teachers’ Union and its members are committed to continuing their actions until their demands for fair salaries are met,” he added.
TU action
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Professional Principals’ Association (SLPPA) President Sugeeshwara Wimalaratne, speaking to the daily edition of this newspaper, noted the following trade union action: principals will stop all duties involving the use of personal mobile phones until the phone allowance is received and they will refrain from travelling outside the workplace if transport facilities or applicable allowances are not provided.
Principals will also refrain from working after office hours, i.e., after 2 p.m. and on public holidays. They will withdraw from all extra duties except certain essential duties. Additionally, they will delay the provision of information required by the zonal, provincial, and Isurupaya offices from schools in response to delays on the part of those institutions. Lastly, they will refrain from fulfilling any task with voluntarily raised funds if the Government does not provide the necessary funds.
Principals, vice principals, and assistant principals have decided to launch indefinite trade union action with effect from 1 July, demanding that their issues, including those relating to salaries and allowances, be resolved.
Government’s response
In response, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has issued a stern warning to the striking educators. He has stated that if teachers do not return to their classrooms during the stipulated hours, the Government will be compelled to declare teaching an essential service. This declaration would legally obligate teachers to be present during class hours, making future strikes potentially illegal under the essential services regulations.
“Teachers will receive salary increases next year, with an average increase of Rs. 3,000 to 17,000. Other Government officials’ salaries will also be adjusted, with an additional Rs. 10,000 increase, resulting in total raises ranging from Rs. 13,000 to Rs. 27,000,” Wickremesinghe had announced last week.
He added that the Cabinet was considering a unified approach to increase Government officials’ salaries starting from 2025, noting that only Sinhala curriculum schools were currently engaged in trade union action.
The potential declaration of teaching as an essential service is a significant move that highlights the Government’s determination to ensure the continuation of education despite the strike. President Wickremesinghe emphasised the importance of education for the nation’s future and the adverse impact prolonged disruptions could have on students. By making teaching an essential service, the Government aims to mitigate the strike’s impact and ensure students’ education is not hampered.
Addressing salary discrepancies
Furthermore, in April, Education Minister Dr. Susil Premajayantha announced in Parliament that the necessary reports to address the salary discrepancies of teachers and principals in Government schools would soon be prepared and that a Cabinet memorandum on the issue would be submitted promptly.
He acknowledged the existence of salary anomalies affecting principals and teachers in Government schools and assured that efforts were underway to resolve them.
The Minister made these remarks in response to an oral question posed by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa regarding a letter from a senior assistant secretary of the Education Ministry to several teachers’ unions about the salary anomaly issue.
“This teacher-principal salary issue did not originate with this Government. It has persisted for the last 29 years. Teachers launched a significant protest in 2021-2022 due to these anomalies, with some even leaving the profession. In response, the previous Government formed a ministerial sub-committee and addressed the issue by incrementally increasing salaries. However, this created salary discrepancies among other Government employees. This year, the salaries of all Government employees have been increased.”
However, when The Sunday Morning attempted to contact the Minister of Education and the Secretary to the Ministry of Education for clarity on the report, neither official could be reached.