• State Min. hits at salary revision, post-Budget

Nearly 4,718 principals will be given their appointment letters during the first week of November, State Minister of Education Aravindh Kumar said yesterday (22).

The announcement comes after the Opposition raised the issue in parliament, and trade union movements agitated the State to fill vacancies and right salary discrepancies in the State education sector.

According to the State Minister the 4,718 school principals who will be recruited next month will be assigned to all three grades of the principal service.

“Around 5,000 school principals will be recruited for all three grades. We’re ready to hand over the relevant appointment letters on 04 November 2024.” Minister Kumar said at a function held yesterday. The Education State Minister further mentioned that a salary increment is likely for the teachers through the upcoming Budget. “I also believe that there will be a salary increment for the teachers through the upcoming Budget,” he said.  

Earlier this month, Minister of Education Susil Premajayantha stated that the Government was planning to fill 705 vacancies in the teacher education service, and another 405 vacancies in the education administration service. With the said vacancies filled, the discrepancies in the teacher consultant service will be negated, Minister Premajayantha opined.

Premajayantha also said that the Ministry of Education was planning to increase school uniforms and lunch provisions systematically, and has applied for more provisions than in 2023. The Ministry plans to provide all State school students lunch at school for free by 2030, Premajayantha said. He added that the deficiencies in human resources of the entire education system are expected to be addressed step by step by January 2024, and cautioned everyone in the sector will have to adapt to the structural changes made in the educational transformation.