– Future teacher transfer and promotion through online technology
The President emphasized that all those joining the teaching profession should dedicate their services for the future generations and that education cannot be maintained in a country without discipline.
The President said that no one will be allowed to disrupt school education directly or indirectly from 7.30 am to 1.30 pm and the President also mentioned that he has instructed the Chancellor to examine the necessary further measures in this regard.
The event for the appointment of Education Administrative Service Officers and teacher appointments for diploma students was held today (03) at Alary House under the chairmanship of the President. The President said the above while addressing the event.
The President appealed to everyone to pay attention to the education of their children and not to support subversive activities.
Also, the President stated that he had discussed with the Minister of Education regarding the transfer and promotion of teachers through online mode in the future and emphasized that no one will be allowed to do injustice in the matter of promotion or transfer of teachers.
Appointments were given to 60 persons approved by the Educational Service Committee of the Public Service Commission and 1,706 graduates and 453 English diploma holders were appointed teachers.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe made some symbolic appointments.
Addressing here, President Ranil Wickremesinghe further said:
”I congratulate all of you entering the administrative service and teaching service. Today you are taking on an important responsibility. In the last two years, the allocation for education was increased even as the country went into recession and took steps to come out of that recession. We have taken steps to recruit teachers not only for vacancies but also for additions. Even in difficult times such measures were taken keeping the future of the country in focus.
Our future is our children. That is why the government is working to empower future generations with new knowledge and modern technological know-how in a changing world. It is the responsibility of all of us.
Therefore, all those engaged in the honorable profession should dedicate their service to future generations. Act with discipline. Education cannot be maintained in a country without discipline. Your classroom may have 40 – 50 students. But there is a difference between a teacher and a military officer. There are seniors trained under military officers. But you have people under the age of 18. You have to pay attention to this. If we do not protect the country’s education, if we disrupt the education system, we will lose our future generation.
To build the country’s economy, we need to move fast. We should try to increase our GDP from 85 billion dollars to at least 350 billion dollars in the next 20-25 years. This should be done for our future generations.
Accordingly it is the responsibility of all of us to focus on the future of the children and prioritize them. It must be said that teaching service is a different service from other services. That dignity must be preserved.
Now we have to protect the discipline of schools. These strikes in schools are not good. There is no reason for such a strike. In 2022, the only salary increase for teachers was carried out during the administration of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. This year we gave a gratuity of ten thousand rupees to all government employees. In the economic situation of the country, more than that cannot be provided. Since then, some unions have called for this to be reconsidered and supplemented. I am surprised that the teachers are demanding a pay rise. We gave them two raises.
Recently the teachers went on strike. They did not come to the classroom. They went on strike in front of the Colombo Fort railway station. University students and other people came, shouted and tried to get to the President’s office. Pushing the roadblocks, they protested amid teargas. This is not a new phenomenon. But that does not apply to the honorable profession.
On that day, when the teachers went on strike, they taught the children without signing the receipts. Some countries teach with a black bar. But the recent strike was quite different.
This situation is not seen in Tamil and Muslim schools. Conducted educational activities for children. Also, the educational activities of international schools and private schools were maintained in a proper manner.
But educational activities were stopped in all Sinhala medium schools. Poor children from ordinary villages go to these schools. Is this the responsibility of teaching? I would like to question that. Teachers of Tamil and Muslim schools understand the importance of education. In areas like Nuwara Eliya, educational activities continued in Tamil language schools while Sinhala medium schools did not exist. Such a situation should not happen in the country.
In some schools, teachers were threatened not to come to school. People blame the government for not doing anything. Similarly, they accuse the opposition parties of working in their favor. This is not a good situation.
No one can directly or indirectly disrupt school education between 7.30 am to 1.30 pm. I asked the Attorney General to make a recommendation in this regard. No one can disrupt children’s education by closing schools or going on strike. We need to take that step for future generations
Also, I discussed with the minister yesterday whether the teacher transfer system can be done through computer. Injustice cannot be allowed to anyone regarding promotion or teachers. Similarly, I would like to inform you that after this we will have to act strictly in this matter. Some people may get angry with me. But that is the reality. We must take all steps to create a better future for our children.
So, I request everyone to focus on the future of the children. Also, I make an important request to the opposition parties not to support these destructive activities. Because we have to listen to the voice of people and parents. My congratulations to all of you who entered the teaching profession today,” said the President.
Education Minister Kalanidhi Sushil Premajayant:
“Granting these faculty appointments is not an easy task. We have taken up the challenge of providing these teacher appointments even in the face of economic crisis. Today about 2000 teachers have been appointed for national schools. The economic work carried out under the leadership of President Ranil Wickremesinghe to free the country from economic crises and provide economic stability has been successful.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe was able to make allocations and appoint you as the Finance Minister while the country was in crisis. But don’t darken your children’s future by joining trade union activities by getting this appointment. You went on an academic journey as a graduate. It is because of the education given to you by your teachers. But if you engage in trade union activities instead of educating your children, the future of our children will be bleak.
The then teachers trade union took action against the bill presented by Eriyakolla as Education Minister, who taught the children without signing the credit register. I hope you will take them as an example. President Ranil Wickremesinghe, as Minister of Education, established the National Institute of Education and took steps to build comprehensive institutional strength in the education sector.
Ranil Wickremesinghe was the Minister of Education when he brought the University Grants Commission Act and the current President created the Colleges of Education. Through it, about five thousand teachers are formed every year. The education sector is fortunate to have a person who has done immense service to the education sector as its president today.
A university graduate should have the ability to get job opportunities without anyone’s help. Future education reforms will take steps to create employable graduates. A country can be economically strengthened by proper management of human resources,” he said.
Governor of Upper Province Marshal of the Air Force Roshan Gunathilaka, State Ministers Aravinda Kumar, Vijitha Perugoda, Education Ministry Secretary Thilaka Jayasundara and officials of the education department also attended the event.
