Education Ministry to fully re-open schools in November, trade unions vow to continue their campaigns
View(s):Preparations are being made by the Education Ministry to re-open schools for all grades from the second week of November onwards, on a directive of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. However education trade unions are warning of protests to achieve their demands.
Accordingly the Education Ministry, which resumed primary classes in schools with less than 200 students recently, will be taking the necessary steps to resume other classes soon.
From tomorrow onwards, all teachers are expected to return to school, ending a 100 day boycott of educational activities where online teaching was boycotted. This was due to the demand from teachers and principals for the Government to resolve the salary anomalies issue.
Despite the Government re-opening schools on Thursday, educational activities were not back to normal, with a low attendance of teachers and students.
Teacher unions said they were keeping their members away from work on Thursday and Friday as a mark of protest, but will return on Monday under protest. Several agitation campaigns have been planned.
However, Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told Parliament on Friday that he expects full attendance of teachers and students by Monday. He pointed out that the low attendance was normal, when schools are re-opened after an outbreak of COVID-19.
“The fact that we have been able to resume classes in schools is an achievement,” he said.
On Monday, the major trade unions will hold a protest campaign soon after school hours outside schools throughout the country, campaigning for their demands with expectations that a solution will be provided in the upcoming Annual Budget that will be presented on November 12.
Trade union leader Mahinda Jayasinghe said they will hold discussions with parents and draw their support, and on November 3 they will hold a demonstration with parents.
Mr Jayasinghe said if the Government fails to address their demands in the Budget they will refrain from completing the A/L applications, which had shortcomings, and submitting the grade five scholarship exam applications. He said they will also refrain from examination duties thereafter.