More teachers (35-45 years) for ‘Special Needs’ children
View(s):Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam has sought Cabinet approval to recruit teachers between the ages of 35-45, to work with children with ‘Special Needs’, in government schools.
The request to raise the age limit of teachers to be recruited to the government service, is because there is a severe dearth of teachers to work with ‘Special Needs’ children.
The Minister said that, while the requirement is 1 teacher for 5 children, at present they have only 1 teacher for 20 children, which is inadequate when teaching children with ‘Special Needs’.
He said that 400 teachers have to be recruited to meet the demand for such teachers, as some of those recruited previously got transfers to other sections.
He said the Education Ministry would soon gazette the vacancy for teachers to work with ‘Special Needs’ children.