The inaugural meeting of the Cabinet Committee appointed to ensure the systematic functioning of the public service has held discussions on maintaining the uninterrupted operation of the public service while effectively managing energy resources, in light of the challenges that have arisen due to the prevailing conflict situation in the Middle East. 

According to the President’s Office, the first meeting of the Cabinet Committee was held on Thursday (19) at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya. 

During the discussion, the Committee also focused on ensuring the continued provision of essential government services without disruption. 

In addition, detailed deliberations were conducted on measures to sustain uninterrupted service delivery to the public and to mitigate the difficulties faced by public sector employees under the current circumstances. 

The Minister of Public Administration A. H. M. M. H. Abayaratne, Secretary to the President Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri, Chief of Staff to the President Prabath Chandrakeerthi, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration S. Aloka Bandara, Secretary to the Ministry of Health Dr Anil Jasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Transport Kapila Perera, Secretary to the Ministry of Energy Udayanga Hemapala, Secretary to the Ministry of Digital Economy T. R. W. S. Dhanapala, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage, Chairman of the Petroleum Corporation D. J. A. S. S. Rajakaruna and other members of the Committee attended the discussion. (Newswire)

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The Cabinet Committee to formulate and implement a National Education Policy Framework (NEPF) has proposed to increase the number of schools offering education in English Medium.

According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), the proposal was made when the NEPF Committee convened under the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the President’s Office yesterday.

During the meeting, it was revealed that since the year 2000, eight English medium subjects have been introduced in schools. However, though 24 years have lapsed, these subjects are currently taught in English medium in only 765 schools.

Given the significant societal demand for English medium education, it was proposed at the Committee meeting that the number of such schools should be increased to 1,000. This expansion aims to accommodate at least 200,000 students receiving education in English by the year 2025.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe instructed the recruitment of 2,500 new teachers to expedite the implementation of this initiative. Given the urgent nature of this task, it was further advised to swiftly hire 1,000 qualified retired teachers capable of teaching subjects in English medium on a contract basis for three years. 

Additionally, the directive includes recruiting 1,100 graduates proficient in teaching in English medium through an open competitive examination. This will also include 400 College of Education (Vidyapeeta) teachers who are set to graduate from Colleges of Education that currently provide training for teachers in English medium.

The NEPF Committee, recognizing education’s crucial role in contemporary economic transformation, comprises eight ministers, including Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and Education Minister Dr. Susil Premjayantha.

Within the NEPF are outlined short-term and medium-term strategies aimed at transforming the education sector. During the meeting, the committee focused specifically on urgent and critical measures necessary to address immediate challenges within the current education landscape.

A Bill to establish a National Council for Teachers, aimed at fostering active teacher participation in decision-making and enhancing the professionalization of teaching services through the introduction of a teacher certification system, will be presented to the Council of Ministers and subsequently to Parliament within a month. This decision has been finalized and is set to move forward for approval.

The goal of this council is to elevate the teaching profession to a position of high recognition. It seeks to enhance teacher professional qualities, introduce a clear professional development framework with a specific pathway for educators, and assess the teacher salary structure to align with emerging professional standards. Additionally, it will fulfil requirements such as establishing a system to recognize and reward both teachers and principals for their contributions and achievements.

Furthermore, in addition to the school leaving certificate currently given to students who complete junior secondary education as well as senior secondary education, the students are not entitled to any quality certificate that shows the various skills and recognized subjects that a student has shown in school over the years. 

Accordingly, a policy decision was reached to provide a Certificate of Completion to every student, not limited to the certificates showing the results of the national examinations, effective from this year. (NewsWire)

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