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The worthwhile cause can wait a while

09 Aug 2021

The teachers’ physical protests over the unresolved teacher-principal salary anomaly issue were brought to a halt with the worsening of the pandemic, which also clamped down on the possibility of the emergence of a teachers’ cluster of Covid-19 – unless this has already been developed. However, they continue to refrain from teaching activities and examination duties in protest. The teachers’ unions’ decision came after countless requests from various parties to halt the protests, with some complaining it took too long for them to take it. However, as the famous saying goes, “better late than never”, and they have to be commended for making a necessary compromise, even after weeks of requests to do so. The teachers’ protests came under fire owing to two reasons: The risk of the spread of Covid-19 due to the large number of teachers gathering for protests, and the further disruption of schoolchildren’s education, which was already hindered by the pandemic. In fact, not only were basic educational activities hindered by the protests, but the education authorities were also compelled to put off crucial exams, in a context where those exams had already been postponed several times due to the pandemic. Many on social media stood against the teachers’ unions’ decision to protest, with a majority questioning the need for protests at this juncture, where the pandemic is wreaking maximum damage. Several of them had one question to raise: Was it fair to hold protests on the scale of thousands of people during such a crisis, for an issue that, according to the unions themselves, had existed for around two decades? Though a few media reports claimed some teachers had tested positive for Covid-19, there is no verification that these infected teachers had participated in the protests. However, the risk was made very obvious when thousands of teachers, including those not vaccinated against Covid-19, congregated to voice their grievances. Speaking to the media after the halting of the protests, Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) General Secretary Joseph Stalin said that intervention by the Cabinet of Ministers is of great importance to reach an agreement and a solution regarding their demands, while Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union (CTSU) General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe said the teachers’ unions’ struggle will continue until they achieve their demands. And so, the unions have proven unwilling to give up on their demands – and there is absolutely no need for them to do so either. If they perform their duties as expected, and if there is in fact a salary anomaly and grading issues as they claim, there is no argument as to whether they should continue to fight for their rights. However, the concern many raised was not about the teachers’ right and freedom to demand what they found lacking in their profession – it was predominantly about whether they chose the appropriate time and method to show their opposition. As a matter of fact, the teachers’ protests could and should have been different. First and foremost, the approach they employed to show their disapproval of the authorities’ lethargic response to their demands was unsuitable, given the pandemic situation. Secondly, teachers, who are expected to set an example in the Sri Lankan context, should have used more tactful methods to express their opposition, as it is the schoolchildren and not the authorities who will experience the direct impacts of such trade union action. We can only hope that the Covid-19 situation improves in the future, and by then, teachers will have the opportunity to discuss their issues and find solutions. However, in this day and age, the tactic of holding the general public hostage to win demands through a tug of war with authorities divides opinions. The next time teachers protest, they should come up with an innovative approach.


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