The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of Opposition

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, due to imbalances in the education sector and failure to take timely measures, our country’s student generation has been prejudiced. Failure to fill teacher vacancies and conducting university teaching without basic infrastructure directly threatens students’ educational rights and the quality of degrees. This undermines confidence in the national education system and threatens future employment opportunities. Therefore, to draw the Government’s attention, I raise the following questions:

¶ 02 1. Can a report by category be tabled on the number of teacher vacancies in all National and Provincial schools? Within what timeframe does the Government expect to fill these vacancies?

¶ 03 2. Has there been any mechanism to grant teacher appointments to those who passed the Dharmacharya Examination to teach religious subjects? If so, is there a procedure for recruitment? Several public petitions by Dharmacharya-qualified groups have been submitted to the Parliamentary Public Petitions Committee; will priority be given?

¶ 04 I also state that by Gazette No. 2087 of 31.08.2018, a teachers’ examination was held on 25.05.2019 with a fee of Rs. 600. Fourteen thousand passed. There are 5,000 vacancies. In October 2020 interviews were held without results; then results were published in April 2024. Hon. Ministers, I ask when these multi-religious (Buddhist, Catholic, Hindu, Islam, Christian) Dharmacharya-qualified, diploma-holding, degree-holding candidates—with practical qualifications from Dhamma schools—will be given appointments.

¶ 05 3. Is there a programme to reassign Development Officers attached to schools back to State institutions as a solution to teacher shortages? Previously the Ministry proposed regularization conditions to absorb School Development Officers into the teaching service. Why were those not implemented?

¶ 06 This matter arose previously and was regularized with the Ministry’s concurrence: to conduct a practical test, and appoint them to Class 2-I as trainees on condition that they obtain a Postgraduate Diploma within three years. Why is this condition not being implemented? These officers have taught for six years as Development Officers. There is no additional financial burden. There is precedent: Trainee graduates before 2005 (up to end-2004) were absorbed as teachers in early 2005 without such conditions. Following that precedent, why are School Development Officers not absorbed? Almost all teacher unions support this. During COVID-19, 16,600 officers rendered exemplary service during online education.