News

News

Teachers get promotion sans arrears
By Sachitra Mahendra
The recent Education Ministry circular on promotions for teachers who have been stagnating in their posts, has failed to cover certain areas such as payment of arrears, the Ceylon Teachers Service Union (CTSU) claimed.

The circular states that teacher promotions to the upper grades held up since October 1994, should be effected from January 1 this year, with no payment of arrears. The circular also listed a number of teacher categories in which anomalies have been rectified.

Graduate teachers without vocational qualifications, who have reached 45 years of age or more in 1994, are taken into the cadre of graduate teachers with vocational qualifications.

Diploma holders in agriculture or economics or those holding a junior university diploma, without any other vocational qualifications, are recognised as vocationally qualified teachers. However, none of the nearly 200,000 teachers, whose anomalies have been rectified, will receive any arrears up to December 31, 2004.

The CTSU has also pointed out that the circular makes no mention of promotions for graduate teachers without vocational qualifications. "They are just recruited as graduates with vocational qualifications. But they are not promoted to upper grades like other teachers. This should be changed," Mahinda Jayasinghe, CTSU head told The Sunday Times.

The circular has also done away with the practice of granting extra marks to graduate teachers. An Education Ministry official said if the system of granting extra marks continues there would be a huge salary anomaly issue. However no such problem would arise, according to CTSU.

The CTSU has requested an appointment with Education Ministry Secretary Dr. Tara de Mel, to discuss the flaws in the circular. The circular was reportedly issued on May 19 after the CTSU announcement of a protest campaign, which was scheduled to begin on May 27 against the postponement of the issue of the circular and against cancelling the examinations to Grade One in the Teacher Service.

The CTSU has warned of sterner action in case the Education Ministry Secretary fails to discuss the question of making amendments to the present circular.

Top

Back to News