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Frustrated parents, students watch salary tug-of-war
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- Teachers held protests across the country. Pix by Kanchana Kumara, Sudath Hewa, Hiran Priyankara and Akila Jayawardana
Mother of four school going children, Denuka Weerakkody, from Moratuwa is impatiently waiting for the government and teachers to resolve the salary issue and begin online studies as she fears the three months’ absence will have a serious effect on her children’s education.
“It’s frustrating to see your children addicted to television entertainment programmes or phone games. The youngest, who is in grade 1, has forgotten most of the letters taught online. I’m getting my eldest to teach her younger siblings. My day is spent scolding them to study from their books, while handling all the household work. Parents are frustrated, many are angry, some have lost their jobs owing to the pandemic and are facing financial difficulties,” said Ms. Weerakkody, whose children are in grade 12, 10, six and one, studying in three leading government schools.
Her anger was echoed by some parents especially in cities and suburbs, where online education continued during the pandemic.
A parent from Kesbewa said it was not easy adjusting to online studies with data costs and buying a mobile phone, “but parents managed to find the time and expenses.’’
She added: “After classes they talk with their teacher and fellow classmates. Photos of the child’s work are sent to the teacher via WhatsApp to be corrected.’’
However, the teachers and principals salary anomaly remains unresolved. Unions reject the government’s offer and are campaigning for the long haul.
Ceylon Teacher Services Union, General Secretary, Mahinda Jayasinghe, rejected the salary scales suggested by the Cabinet sub-committee as it doesn’t solve the 24 year old anomaly.
“The future of primary and secondary education depends on how the government responds to our salary issue. While other professions in the government sector got their wages increased throughout the years, teachers were silent and continued teaching children. Our protest comes at a time when only 40 percent of the country’s student population was receiving online education. The government waited till we [began] protest, to start remote teaching for the majority of students who did not have access to mobiles, or have network coverage in their areas,” he said.
He said the government now has close to two weeks before schools reopen, to solve the salary issue, while considering bigger financial allocations for education in the budget.
“All our unions are joined as one Teachers-Principal Trade Union Alliance and will resort to more trade union action even after October 21. Until then parivenadipathi nayaka theros, principals and teachers will not attend any education ministry/ zonal or provincial level meeting, prepare module exams, or release statistics for official work,” he said.
Ceylon Teacher Union General Secretary, Joseph Stalin, said Sri Lankan teacher salaries are among the lowest in South Asia.
Many organisations, professional bodies are urging the government and unions representing teachers and principals to immediately come to a common understanding/ find a solution to the salary issue and start lessons for government school students.
When all party representatives including former president Maitripala Sirisena, former speaker Karu Jayasuriya, as well as current Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and a number of former ministers and MPs gathered at Abhayaramaya in Narahenpita to discuss issues in the education sector this week, Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero said he has asked President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to solve the issue.
“The teachers’ salary issue should be given a patient hearing with a view to providing a just solution. As a responsible government, this should be initiated without further delay as education of children has collapsed. Failure to do so will also result in waves of protests which would contribute to the spread of COVID-19, the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) warned in a letter to President Rajapaksa.
Islandwide protests were held this Teachers’ Day with hundreds gathered in main towns and cities.
Amid this crisis, the government plans to re-open schools from the end of October or early November.
While provincial governors assured the Education Minister that schools with fewer than 200 students in each school (about 3,000 schools) can be re-opened on October 21, State Minister of Education Reforms, Susil Premjayantha told Parliament this week, that reopening of all grades will most likely take place in November.
“In 2020, out of 210 school days students were able to attend school only for 65 days. While students in all provinces except Western Province attended school in the first term this year. Students in Western Province attended only five days for the whole year,” he said.
The exams for Grade 5 scholarships and Advanced Level due to be held in December were also postponed to early next year. When the exams will be held is not known.