Decades-long issues resolved, says Parliament Education Committee Chairman
View(s):Since its formation, the Parliament’s Sectoral Oversight Committee for Education and Human Resources Development had been able to resolve issues in the education sector that had not been solved for decades, Parliament was told this week.
Committee Chair Prof. Ashu Marasinghe said this when he presented the final three reports compiled by the Committee to Parliament on Thursday.
Presenting the report, Prof. Marasinghe said many problems that required the Committee’s intervention for resolution, had occurred due to the faults of politicians.
“In about 85% of cases, the problems involved officers who had been appointed on political basis,” he explained.
The Chairman said there were issues that came before the Committee that had remained unresolved for decades.
The issue of the In-Service Advisors’ Service for example, had remained unresolved since 1962 when it came before the Committee. The Committee managed to find a solution to this issue that had remained unresolved for 58 years.
Issues faced by Project Assistants in the Non-Formal Education sector that had been pending for 24 years were also among the issues resolved by the Committee.
The Chairman said all Governments that had been in power since 1994 should be held responsible for a majority of education sector issues.
He said the Sectoral Oversight Committee had also appointed a Sub Committee for Education under MP Rohini Kumari Wijeratne to help resolve these issues.
“We have presented 14 reports. Our first report was on the SAITM issue. We were also able to draft a report on the Grade One admission circular and to introduce a national policy for teacher transfers,” he said.
Prof. Marasinghe concluded by making an appeal to the next Parliament to continue with the practice of Sectoral Oversight Committees, given their immense importance.
- SJ