STOP schools collecting funds for development activities- CTSU
View(s):The Ceylon Teachers’ Services Union (CTSU) has demanded that the Government halt the practice of schools collecting funds for development activities.
The CTSU in a letter to the Ministry of Education (MoE) has warned they would resort to trade union action, after 2 weeks, if the Government does not issue orders to stop the practice.
CTSU Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe said that National and Provincial schools were both carrying out the practice, despite an earlier MoE circular to desist.
He said that some schools were collecting Rs 500-Rs 3,000 from students of Grades 1-11, while for A/L students the sum varies from Rs 6,000-Rs 10,000.
He said that the complaints from the National schools were higher than that from Provincial schools.
“We have collected sufficient evidence from parents about the malpractices,” Mr Jayasinghe said.
He said the Principals appeared to be helpless, as the MoE was not allocating sufficient funds for projects and for the schools’ maintenance.
He said some of the teachers have advised the parents that, if they were not willing to donate money, they could obtain a certificate from the Grama Sevaka that they cannot pay the money.
“However, the reality is that parents are reluctant to produce such a certificate, as it would be humiliating to their children, as, invariably, such information is publicised,” he said.
He said MoE would have to issue a gazette notification banning the collection of such funds.
- DW