The Old Boys’ Association of Sir John Kothalawala College says that although the child admitted to lighting matches which caused a teacher’s car to catch fire, being only about eight years old, neither the school administration nor Sri Lanka Police has filed charges or treated him as an offender, and will not do so. 

Issuing a statement, the Association emphasized that no charges or pressure will be placed on the child, firmly rejecting social media claims that school authorities exerted undue influence. 

The incident occurred on July 3 at 2.55 pm when the teacher’s car caught fire inside the school premises. CCTV footage later revealed a small child loitering near the vehicle and discarding a matchbox. 

The teacher lodged a complaint with Kurunegala Headquarters Police for insurance purposes, submitting CCTV footage and photos, but did not mention the child’s name.

The teacher has not pressured the child or parents in any way. He did not mention the child’s name in complaints. However, the mother has included the child’s name in complaints against the teacher, which is regrettable, the statement said. 

On July 4, the child, along with his parents, was questioned before the Principal and Deputy Principal, where he admitted to lighting several matches and throwing one into the car’s bumper. 

The parents confirmed the act, and the father pledged compensation for the damage. Police officers from the Science of Crime Office (SOCO) conducted an inspection and permitted the car to be taken for repairs.

The Old Boys’ Association emphasized that the child continues to attend school regularly and that his safety and rights are being safeguarded. They condemned distorted social media posts that circulated CCTV footage and reports in ways that defamed the school.

The child’s younger brother in Grade 2 has not been scolded or punished by the teacher regarding earlier scratches on the car. Parents confirmed this. The teacher regrets that repairs cannot be done yet due to lack of insurance compensation or spare parts, the Association said. 

The affected teacher, described as highly dedicated to Grade 5 students, continues his duties without interruption, conducting voluntary extra classes and online lessons despite the incident. 

The Association also criticized the parents for leaving the child unsupervised for over three hours after school ended, stressing that responsibility for children’s safety lies with parents, not the school staff.

On July 03, after school ended at 1 pm, children left. But the child remained until 4 pm, over three hours. Allowing such a small child under 8 years to remain unnecessarily at school is a serious fault of the parents. Parents must take children home immediately after school, the Old Boys’ Association said, expressing strong disapproval. 

The Association reiterated that the case highlights broader concerns about child safety and serves as a warning to society about the unnecessary use of mobile phones by small children. (Newswire)

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The Ministry of Education has announced that annual and compulsory teacher transfer applications for national schools for the year 2026 are now open online via http://nstt.moe.gov.lk.

Teachers have the opportunity to submit applications through the online system between 16-30 July, 2026.

A printed copy of the completed application must then be handed over to the principal of the school where the teacher receives his or her salary, on or before July 31, 2026.

The Ministry has emphasized that applications submitted personally or sent by post will not be accepted by the Ministry of Education. (Newswire)

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A secondary school teacher in the UK has been found guilty of the murder and sexual abuse of a 13-month-old baby he treated as a “plaything”.

Jamie Varley, 37, adopted Preston Davey, at nine months old with his partner John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32.

Preston had been taken from his mother, Sarah Davey, now 42, by an emergency care order by Oldham Council.

When she was 14 years old, Davey had been jailed for the “unspeakably wicked” murder of a frail pensioner in 1998 and had been in and out of prison since then.

Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley were approved for adoption and at nine months old Preston began living at their home in Blackpool, England, in April 2023.

But in the just under four months he was in their care, he was routinely ill-treated, had indecent images and videos taken of him, sexually abused and physically assaulted, suffering 40 traumatic injuries, the defendants’ trial at Preston Crown Court has heard.

Following an eight-week trial, a jury spent around 14 hours considering verdicts before it returned to court to deliver verdicts.

Varley was found guilty of murder, two counts of assault by penetration, five counts of cruelty to a child, grievous bodily harm, sexual assault of a child, 13 counts of taking indecent photos or videos of a child, one of distributing an indecent photo of a child, to his co-accused, and one of making an indecent photo.

McGowan-Fazakerley was found guilty of allowing the death of a child, two counts of child cruelty and one count of the sexual assault of a child.

Varley stood in the dock and put his hands to his face as the guilty verdicts were read, before retching and vomiting.

His co-accused made no reaction.

Preston’s mother and grandmother cried throughout as the 29 guilty verdicts were returned.

Both defendants will not be sentenced today and Mr Justice Turner said he will pass sentence on Thursday. (RTE Ireland)

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A teacher from a school in Moratuwa, who was arrested for sexually abusing a 14-year-old  student, has been remanded.

The Moratuwa Magistrate today (18) ordered that the teacher be remanded until December 1.

However, the school principal, who was arrested for allegedly concealing the incident, was released on two sureties of Rs. 100,000 each.

The teacher and the principal are aged 58 and 59, are residents of Baduraliya and Piliyandala.

According to the Police, several more complaints have also been filed against the teacher. (Newswire)

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Minister of Education, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, says there are currently 36,178 teacher vacancies across provincial and national schools in Sri Lanka, including 1,501 vacancies in national schools.

She further noted that provincial school vacancies are distributed as follows: Western Province – 4,630, Southern – 2,513, Central – 6,318, North Western – 2,990, Uva – 2,780, North Central – 1,568, Eastern – 6,613, Sabaragamuwa – 3,994, and Northern Province – 3,271.

The Prime Minister also announced that 353 graduates belonging to Grade III (A) of the teacher service, who have not yet assumed duties, are scheduled to be recruited within the next two months.

To address these shortages, she added that requests have been submitted to the Recruitment Review Committee established under the leadership of the Secretary to the Prime Minister, and that necessary steps will be taken promptly to fill the vacancies.

PM Harini Amarasuriya made the remarks in Parliament yesterday (21), in response to a previous question raised by Opposition Leader MP Sajith Premadasa. (Newswire)

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Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, PM Harini Amarasuriya, says a better mechanism will be formulated for placements and transfers in the Teacher Educators Service and the Education Administrative Service.

The Prime Minister made these remarks at the meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, chaired by her, which was held in Parliament last week (06 Aug).

On this occasion, the Members of Parliament who were present at the Committee pointed out that there are issues regarding placements and transfers in the Teacher Educators Service and the Education Administrative Service. 

It was especially noted that, out of the 6 officers who were recently appointed for the North Central Province, 5 have again been transferred. Accordingly, prolonged attention of the Committee was drawn to this matter, and it was discussed that, when granting such appointments, the human factors concerning the officers should also be taken into account. It was also pointed out by PM Amarasuriya that attention should be paid to the service requirement when placing officers.

Furthermore, PM Amarasuriya said that, so far, there has been no formal plan or mechanism implemented regarding placements and transfers in the Teacher Educators Service and the Education Administrative Service, and that plans are currently being prepared in this regard. She further stated that a better mechanism, taking into account human factors as well, will be formulated for placements and transfers.

In addition, the Prime Minister instructed the officials to take the necessary steps as soon as possible regarding the admission of students with disabilities to universities. 

Also, the chairpersons of the 6 subcommittees appointed by this Ministerial Consultative Committee presented the progress of the respective subcommittees. (Newswire)

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Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya says there is currently a shortage of 40,000 teachers across Sri Lanka, and that the government expects to recruit a certain number of the required vacancies by the end of this year.

PM Amarasuriya made these remarks in Parliament on Wednesday (21 May), while responding to a question raised by opposition MP Mujibur Rahman.

Addressing the Parliament, PM Amarasuriya said there are currently 4,240 teacher vacancies in the Sinhala medium and 2,827 in the Tamil medium for Grades 1 to 5 in government schools, while the number of vacancies reported from Grades 6 to 11 is 11,274 in the Sinhala medium and 6,121 in the Tamil medium.

She went on to note that in the Western Province alone, government schools report 1,310 Sinhala medium and 302 Tamil medium teacher shortages for Grades 1 to 5, adding that for Grades 6 to 11, the vacancies stand at 1,325 for Sinhala medium teachers and 397 for Tamil medium teachers. 

PM Harini Amarasuriya revealed that as a whole, nationwide, there are 40,000 vacancies for teachers.

She further said that the Public Service Commission has issued a recommendation that recruitments to fill the vacancies in the Ministry of Education should be done through an examination-based process. 

“Currently, there is an ongoing court case regarding the recruitment of graduates into the teaching profession. Taking all these matters into consideration, attention is being directed towards recruiting graduates to fill the existing teacher vacancies,” she said. 

The Prime Minister emphasized that the government expects to fill at least a certain number of the required vacancies by the end of this year. (Newswire)

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A group of teachers who had not worn sarees while reporting for the evaluation of the GCE Advance Level Examination answer scripts have been turned away from an examination centre at a school in Pannipitiya. 

According to Ada Derana, the teachers were turned away yesterday by the school principal for not dressing in sarees on a school day, during which teachers are required to wear sarees. 

At the time, the group of teachers had claimed that the Examination Centre falls under the purview of the Commissioner General of Examinations and not the school principal. 

The school principal had responded that there was a certain discipline in a school and everyone who comes into the school should adhere to it.

A heated argument had then ensued between the teachers and the principal, after which the Police had arrived to contain the situation. 

As both parties failed to reach a common consensus, the Commissioner General of Examinations instructed the examination centre to be temporarily closed. 

It is reported that the Commissioner General of Examinations is to hold a discussion on the matter today to resolve the issue. (Newswire)

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A teacher attached to a school in Padavi Sripura has been arrested on suspicion of having shared explicit videos with a student of the school via WhatsApp. 

The woman was arrested by the Padavi Sripura Police on Saturday (Jan 06) based on a complaint filed by the child’s father.

The man had filed a complaint with the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) claiming that the teacher had sent explicit content to the WhatsApp of his daughter who was a grade eight student.

The suspect teacher was arrested by the Police Children & Women Unit of the Padavi Sripura Police after being informed by the NCPA. 

During inquiries by the Police, the child had revealed that the teacher had shown her explicit videos in the school’s computer classroom on a previous occasion as well.

The arrested woman is to be produced before the Kebithigollewa Court, while the Padavi Sripura Police is conducting investigations. (Newswire)

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A 53-year-old school teacher from Kandy who was arrested on charges of taking the ballot paper out of the Polling station during postal voting recently has been released on Police bail.

It is reported that the school teacher had accidentally inserted the candidates’ list in the postal vote envelope instead of the marked ballot paper at the polling station at the Wariyapola Sri Sumangala College in Kandy. 

The teacher, a resident of Matale, had later found the marked ballot paper in her possession upon returning home and had immediately informed her school principal in this regard, handing over the marked ballot paper to him.

The principal had informed election officials in this regard, after which the teacher was arrested, as it is an offence under the Election Law to take the ballot paper outside the polling station.

Upon admitting her mistake and agreeing to appear in court when notified, the Kandy Police released the woman on Police bail. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka’s main Opposition party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) says it has formulated policies and plans to address the issues faced by teachers and principals under a future SJB- government.

Issuing a statement, the SJB urged the teachers and principal trade unions to support its policies devoid of political preferences, in the future.  

The SJB further pointed out that it was the responsibility of the government to address the salary anomalies faced by teachers and principals. 

Condemning the use of the teacher-principal strike for political advantage, the SJB said the consequence of such actions is the impact and difficulties faced by school children.

The SJB also condemned the government’s use of the Police to suppress the protesters instead of resolving their issues. (Newswire)

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The Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) has announced that the trade union action launched by teachers and principals will continue tomorrow as well. 

CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin told the media that all teachers and principals will report sick and will refrain from reporting to duty on Thursday (June 27).

Joseph Stalin further said the decision had been taken to protest the firing of tear gas and water cannons by the Police to disperse the protest that had been staged by CTU trade union members in Colombo today. 

School teachers and principals had reported sick and refrained from duty today, over several demands, including salary anomalies, resulting in over 10,000 schools being forced to close. 

Simultaneously, members of the CTU trade unions staged a protest march from Fort Railway Station to Lotus Road in Colombo after which the Police resorted to firing tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protesters. (Newswire)

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President Ranil Wickremesinghe praised the historical “Jaffna Teaching Tradition” during a speech at the Jaffna District Teacher Appointment Ceremony held on Saturday (May 25). 

The ceremony, which took place at the Jaffna Thanthai Selva Auditorium, saw the appointment of 375 teachers in the Northern Province.

Addressing the ceremony, President Wickremesinghe highlighted the importance of restoring the “Jaffna Teaching Tradition”, emphasizing the need for teachers to serve as exemplary figures in society.

The President cautioned against teachers engaging in protests that may undermine their professional image and urged them to uphold their dignity.

Governor of the Northern Province Mrs. P.S.M. Mrs. Charles also presented a commemorative gift to President Wickremesinghe during the event.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe further said; “To all of you receiving teacher appointments today, you are embarking on a significant responsibility. You are entrusted with shaping the future of children within classrooms comprising 35-40 students. The trajectory of these children’s lives is heavily influenced by your guidance. Failure to uphold this responsibility renders one unsuitable for the teaching profession.”

He further pointed out that Jaffna teachers have historically been in demand both nationally and internationally. 

“They have demonstrated unwavering commitment to fulfilling their duties. Even at prestigious institutions like Royal College, Colombo, where I myself received my education, Jaffna teachers were recognized for their exceptional dedication. Their legacy continues to resonate in society, underscoring their exemplary practices that serve as a benchmark for educators nationwide.

“The development of Jaffna owes much to its steadfast commitment to education, with certain schools garnering global renown. For instance, Hartley College students have showcased their talents on prestigious platforms like Oxford University, underscoring the calibre of education in the region.”

The President urged the newly appointed teachers to embrace this noble profession with the same fervour and dedication. 

“Joining the ranks of Jaffna’s esteemed educators is not merely a career choice but a commitment to shaping lives and contributing to the broader landscape of education.

“As educators, it is imperative that you serve as exemplary figures within the teaching profession. Engaging in public demonstrations or shouting slogans on the streets may compromise your credibility in the eyes of students. Therefore, it is essential that you fulfill your responsibilities with diligence and professionalism.

Reflecting on the past, Jaffna boasted a commendable school system. Notably, former speaker Mr. K.B. Ratnayake received his education at Hartley College, exemplifying the quality of education prevalent at the time. However, the onset of war led to the departure of many teachers, resulting in a decline in the standards of education within the region.

“It is incumbent upon us to strive towards reinstating Jaffna’s education system to its former glory and beyond, aiming for international standards of excellence. I propose that the governor engage in comprehensive consultations with all relevant stakeholders, including representatives from northern councils and universities, to devise a plan aimed at restoring Jaffna’s school system to its former international standards. It is imperative to recognize that providing education solely in Tamil and Sinhala is insufficient; English proficiency must also be prioritized for children. To achieve this, the recruitment of qualified teachers is essential. Although this endeavour may span a period of 10-15 years, proactive measures must commence without delay.

“On behalf of those appointed today, I extend my heartfelt congratulations and urge them to wholeheartedly dedicate themselves to the noble task of serving the children of the north while upholding the dignity of the teaching profession,” he added. (Newswire)

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An English teacher has been apprehended over the incident of setting fire to President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s private residence during the ‘Argalaya’ Peoples Movement last year. 

According to Lankadeepa, the man was arrested over the incident reported in Colombo on July 09, 2022. 

He was arrested by officials from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) on Monday (Feb 05). 

The English teacher has been identified as a 46-year-old resident of Boralesgamuwa. (NewsWire)

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A teacher attached to a school in the Walapane Educational Zone in Nuwara Eliya has been arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing three female students within the school premises, it was reported.

According to Lankadeepa, the Kirthibandara Police said the suspect is a 29-year-old resident of Kithulle in Kandy, while his wife is also a teacher. 

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the man who was serving as the teacher in charge of the class had maintained a romantic relationship with one victim and through her had allegedly sexually abused the other two students.

The suspect had been arrested based on information received by the Police from the three students. 

The Police said the suspect was also found to have forced one victim to send explicit photographs of herself to him via WhatsApp. (NewsWire)

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The Ministry of Education has decided to permit only qualified teachers with Government stipulated qualifications to engage in preschool education in the future.

According to Daily News, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha stated that preschool teachers will be given specific training and a Diploma in the future for this purpose.

This programme will cover around 40,000 preschool teachers from 19,000 different types of preschools scattered across the country. 

Teachers with the Government stipulated qualifications will only be given permission to commence preschools, he added.

Minister Susil Premajayantha also pointed out that it was necessary to pay special attention to preschool education, which is considered the foundation of primary education.

Stating that the Education Ministry trained 13,800 primary teachers in the year 2022, he noted that it has already commenced training the same amount in the year 2023. 

The Minister further revealed that a special programme has also been implemented introducing the use of English in practice from Grade One in schools.

The programme is launched together with UNICEF for the development of primary education, he added.

Minister Susil Premajayantha made the remarks while speaking at the inauguration of a national programme to provide free school books to 100,000 children with economic difficulties at Bomiriya National School. (NewsWire)

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A female school teacher has been killed after being attacked with a sharp object.

According to reports, the incident had occurred in the Dolamulla area in Urubokka in the Southern Province.

The teacher had been attacked while she was returning home from school. 

The deceased has been identified as a 29-year-old woman.

The Police suspect the woman may have been killed by her boyfriend. (NewsWire)

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A 25-year-old preschool teacher was reported dead after being attacked by an individual in the Kobbekaduwa area in Peradeniya early this morning (07).

The Police stated that the woman had been attacked with a sharp object and had succumbed to injuries after being admitted to the Ilukthenna Hospital.

The deceased has been identified as a 25-year-old woman from the Muruthalawa area. 

Police investigations have revealed that the victim was a teacher at a preschool and had been attacked while on her way to work.

The suspect wanted over the attack is yet to be identified, while the Peradeniya Police is conducting investigations into the incident. (NewsWire) 

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