News
Ed. Ministry and NIE draw up plans for schools hit hard by transport crisis
View(s):NTC to organise a special school bus service; NIE creates essential learning content packages for teachers
By Chrishanthi Christopher
Several special measures will be introduced from next week to overcome difficulties that prevent academic activities in schools returning to normalcy, an Education Ministry official said recently.
This follows many school children and teachers unable to attend school last week, due to a lack of public transport.
Accordingly arrangements have been made with the National Transport Commission (NTC) to provide a special bus service to schools to resolve the transport crisis, created by a deepening fuel crisis in the country.
Schools which reopened last week (July 25) functioned only on three days. After monitoring last week’s school attendance, the Government determined that students and teachers had difficulties attending school due to a lack of public transport.
Only around 70% of children attended school, some using their own transport such as motor bikes and push bicycles, while others walked. Many arrived late.
Some schoolchildren arrived late in school due to lack of public transport. Pic by Sudath H.M. Hewa
The NTC said the programme would be initially implemented in the Western province, with 40 buses that would have boards displaying ‘podu pasal seva‘ and the school’s name.
Arrangements were also made for fuel to be replenished at special pumping sheds at Makumbara multi-modal centre and at the Bastion Mawatha bus stop.
Arrangements were also made to condense the syllabus to accommodate essential lessons. The National Institute of Education (NIE) introduced a essential learning content (ELC) package, stipulated in the school reopening programme.
This package will focus on the recovery of lost time due to intermittent school closures from 2020 onwards, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the prevailing economic crisis that began this year.
NIE Director Dr. Sunil Jayaratne said the ELC for grades 1 to 11 would have compulsory condensed course structures for each term. The remianing syllabus content could be covered as desired by school principals and teachers.
The Ministry also requested teachers to bring all children back to school, identify their readiness to re-continue education in current grades, support vulnerable children, and focus on stipulated programmes until the lost time was recovered.
Plans would also be going ahead to shorten the second and third term holidays in August and December, and increase the number of schools days. Schools were advised to focus only on teaching and learning processes and avoid all other extra-curricular activities.
Moreover, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) agreed to avoid power cuts during week days from 8.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m.
The Education Ministry also directed that requests made by teachers for temporary placements to the nearest schools should be granted after principals of both schools consented, and the appropriate replacements should be take place thereafter. The temporary placements would be valid until December this year.
Meanwhile the Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) said granting temporary placements to teachers was not happening due to red tape.
CTU Secretary Joseph Stalin said in most instances replacements for remote areas was not possible. He also said some principals were refusing to let their teachers transfer due to a severe teacher shortage in some areas.
He said the transport measures should have been in place before schools reopened, as students and teachers were undergoing severe difficulties finding transport to schools.
Travelling costs had also skyrocketed and parents were finding it hard to meet the expenses, he added.
Mr Stalin also said although there was a discussion about a condensed syllabus the teachers had not been advised yet.
“They are still holding on to the old syllabus and teaching students,” he said.
Last week schools in Colombo and its suburbs and other cities functioned only on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Teachers were asked to give children take home activities or conduct online classes on Wednesdays and Fridays.
On Friday, the Government decided to continue holding classes in schools only on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
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