The Ceylon Teachers’ Union held discussions with the Secretary to the Ministry of Education this week, seeking urgent solutions to a series of professional issues affecting teachers and principals across the school system.
The meeting, attended by senior ministry officials, focused on concerns arising from the current uncertainty surrounding the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill and its implications for school discipline, as well as the additional administrative burdens placed on teachers through various projects unrelated to teaching.
According to the union, the discussions centered on several key matters:
1. Formulating new guidelines to ensure the protection of teachers when disciplinary action is taken in the absence of the amended Penal Code.
2. Amending the relevant circulars to remove excessive non-academic responsibilities imposed on teachers that hinder the teaching–learning process.
3. Allowing teacher transfers within national and provincial schools to be handled through respective provincial transfer boards for greater transparency and convenience.
4. Streamlining the payment of salary increments by eliminating the use of complex evaluation forms introduced by provincial and zonal offices, and relying instead on principal recommendations.
5. Establishing a process to enable teachers who were unable to complete module assessments by June 30 to do so without penalty.
6. Addressing complaints related to school fundraising practices and revising the relevant circulars.
7. Providing timely solutions to issues faced by teachers and principals under the ongoing education reform process.
The Education Secretary instructed ministry officials to take the necessary steps to resolve these matters promptly. (Newswire)