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Many teachers unpaid for 2021 O/L, A/L paper marking 

12 Oct 2022

  • CTSU calls for extension of application for 2022 A/L until payments are finalised 
BY Buddhika Samaraweera Claiming that many teachers who engaged in paper-marking duties pertaining to the General Certificate of Education (GCE) Ordinary Level (O/L) and Advanced Level (A/L) Examinations in 2021 are yet to receive the relevant payments, the Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union (CTSU) has called for the extension of the deadline for accepting applications from teachers for 2022 A/L Exam paper marking purposes until such payments are finalised. Speaking to the media, CTSU General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe said that the Department of Examinations has decided to call for applications for 2022 A/L Exam paper marking from teachers at a time when the department is yet to finalise relevant payments to teachers who engaged in paper marking duties with regard to the 2021 A/L and O/L Exams, which were held in February and May 2022, respectively.  “We oppose the department’s failure to finalise the relevant payments, and will also force the relevant authorities to extend the deadline for accepting applications from teachers for 2022 A/L paper marking activities. The department has announced that the deadline for such will be 21 October 2022. If the department fails to make the payments there will be a trend of many teachers not applying for paper marking activities,” he said. Noting that the relevant financial allocations are being made through the Budget proposal with regard to making these payments, Jayasinghe claimed that the department has no right to delay the relevant payments for long periods of time. He said that the department, which did not take any step to make an advance payment to teachers who engaged in paper marking activities in the previous year, has now called for applications for the 2022 A/L paper marking activities. “If these payments are not made properly, the teachers will not take part in marking papers. This will disrupt the entire process of examinations. It will also be a serious injustice to students who sit for these exams. Therefore, we urge the Examinations Department to make the relevant payments to the teachers. If it does not do that, it should be held fully responsible for any subsequent consequences,” added Jayasinghe. Claiming that most teachers involved in paper marking duties of the O/L and A/L Exams have not received the related payments to date, the Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) also recently warned that it will have a negative impact on the examinations to be held in the future. CTU President Priyantha Fernando said at the time that usually, these payments should be made within a short period of time after the conclusion of the paper marking activities, but that many teachers are yet to receive payments. He said that the department was informed, on several occasions, to make the related payments promptly considering the difficulties faced by teachers.  


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