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Reopening of schools postponed

09 Aug 2021

 
  • Plan to vaccinate majority by Sept. in doubt
  • G.L. asks who teachers are harming
  • TUs hopeful of Cabinet decision today
  BY Pamodi Waravita The Government said yesterday (9) that although it was initially planned to reopen schools in September, this would have to be delayed in light of the current situation in the country. “The Government’s plan was to gradually open schools from the first week of September, after a majority of the public became fully vaccinated. However, due to the current state in the country, it is a question as to whether this can be achieved,” Education Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris said yesterday. Thus, Prof. Peiris said that distance learning is crucial at this juncture and that its development is especially necessary for children hailing from low-income households. He made these comments with reference to the ongoing teachers’ and principals’ trade unions strike, demanding a solution to the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue, the provision of facilities for teachers and students to carry out online education activities, and concerning several other issues. Yesterday marked the 28th day of the strike. “If the teachers are refusing to teach, then who are they taking revenge of? The social justice of this move is a huge problem. If they are refusing to teach, then the least we can do is to release the results of the 2020 General Certificate of Education (GCE) Ordinary Level (O/L) exam. A total of 169,000 students did aesthetic subjects and they are yet to complete their practical exams. But the teachers’ unions want to strike with regard to the practical exams also. So, 620,000 students will not be able to receive their results. Who are they taking revenge from?” questioned Prof. Peiris. Meanwhile, Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) General Secretary Joseph Stalin yesterday said that teachers are hopeful of a resolution to the issue through the Cabinet. “A total of 240,000 teachers and 16,000 principals are standing strong together. We hope for a decision at least on 10 August (today) from the Government. We have been informed that this issue will be discussed at this week’s Cabinet of Ministers’ meeting.” A committee comprising officials from the Finance Ministry and the National Salaries/Pay Commission (NSC) has been appointed by President’s Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera, in order to look into the issues in the education sector including the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue. So far, there have been several discussions between the teachers’ and principals’ trade union representatives and Prof. Peiris and the Education Ministry officials. However, all those discussions, according to the trade unions, ended without the parties reaching an agreement. In addition, Prof. Peiris has so far submitted two proposals to the Cabinet with regard to the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue. He had also said during a discussion with the trade unions on 3 August that he would submit another proposal to the Cabinet meeting, held yesterday. Teachers’ and principals’ trade unions had decided to withdraw from all online teaching activities from 12 July until further notice, in protest over the arrest of a group of trade unionists and student activists, including Stalin, and the lack of a solution to the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue. In addition to online teaching activities, the teachers and principals had withdrawn from duties related to sending applications for examinations including the GCE Advanced Level (A/L) examination, online. They had also withdrawn from teaching activities at regional learning centres recently established by the Education Ministry. Also, nearly 5,800 teachers and principals had decided to withdraw from practical examination duties of the GCE O/L examination that commenced on 26 July. In addition, they have also decided to withdraw from duties related to the GCE A/L and Grade Five Scholarship examinations that are to be held in November 2021.  


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