50,000 post-A/L exam students to be recruited as assistant teachers
View(s):Higher Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena said the Government is planning to recruit 50,000 assistant teachers over the next four years.
The objective of the programme is to provide jobs for students who have passed the G.C.E Advanced Level (A/L) exams, but have failed to gain entry into the state universities.
Assistant teachers will be assigned to the college of education closest to them, that is also linked to a state university, allowing them to receive a degree in teaching and education.
Minister Gunawardena said these assistant teachers will assist teachers from grade one to five to gain work experience. They will attend the school that they will be working at, on four days of the week only. Friday will be an off day, and they will attend lectures for their degree programme on the weekends. During the four year period they will receive an allowance of Rs 10,000 per month and an interest free loan to buy a laptop.
Minister Gunawardena said through this programme the current government will be able to uphold an election promise of giving students who pass the A/L exams the opportunity to obtain a degree.
The minister also said that this will solve the issue of a lack of teachers in schools, to a certain extent. The assistant teachers will be able to act in the absence of a main teacher. Similar systems are in operation in Finland, UK, USA and Canada.
- Damith Wickremasekara