The Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna - Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education

¶ 01 Mr. Presiding Member, I thank the Hon. Member for raising this question. The answers are as follows:

¶ 02 01. Under the Sri Lanka Teacher Educators’ Service Minute published by Extraordinary Gazette No. 1925/37 dated 2015.07.28, recruitment to the Sri Lanka Teacher Educators’ Service is made on limited and open bases from the Sri Lanka Teacher Service, Sri Lanka Principals’ Service, Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service and Sri Lanka Instructors’ Service. In terms of paragraph 5 of Chapter VII of the Establishments Code and the Institutional Circulars, officers recruited on the limited basis are placed on the new salary scale taking into account the last salary drawn in their previous service. Therefore, this matter relates to placement based on the last salary.

¶ 03 02. In the Public Service there are several executive services with island-wide and non-island-wide salary scales. If the anomaly is rectified only for officers of the Teacher Educators’ Service, anomalies could arise in other executive services. Therefore, a policy decision should be made after considering salaries across all executive services.

¶ 04 By way of clarification, Mr. Presiding Member, we have held several rounds of discussions over a long period with many officers in education-related services. Some issues have arisen because, over the past few years, decisions on salaries were taken service by service. However, as a Government we must provide a solution. I will also speak on forthcoming measures.

¶ 05 At this moment, we have identified five specific services relating to education. We are establishing an Education Council to address salary-related issues service by service, giving concrete answers. Problems have arisen because isolated decisions were taken previously. Therefore, including the 2014 service minute revisions and other matters, we have recently held discussions with the Teacher Educators’ Service and with Deans/Heads of Faculties. I will speak further on steps we will take in my remaining answers.

¶ 06 03. and 05. With respect to officers recruited to the Sri Lanka Teacher Educators’ Service on the limited basis, in accordance with paragraph 5 of Chapter VII of the Establishments Code and Institutional Compendium, they are re-placed on the new salary scale considering the last salary drawn in their previous service. I will discuss further measures as we proceed.

¶ 07 04. A Fundamental Rights case SC/FR/077/2025 has been filed by the relevant parties. Accordingly, further action must be taken in line with the decision of the Hon. Supreme Court.

¶ 08 On the Ministry’s public day (Monday), service counters operate in the Ministry of Education. On the said day, five participants including the Additional Secretary (subject) held a discussion with representatives of the Education Services Institutions. As legal proceedings (SC/FR/077/2025) are pending, action must be in accordance with any order of the Hon. Supreme Court before taking any other steps.

¶ 09 06. A Cabinet Memorandum has now been prepared on this matter.

¶ 10 07. Pursuant to item 06 above, a Cabinet decision will be obtained and further action taken accordingly.

¶ 11 08. Students who passed the G.C.E. (Advanced Level) 2023 and 2024 examinations are being processed for admission in the first week of December 2025.

¶ 12 Admissions to Faculties of Education were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the adverse conditions in the country. Admissions up to the 2022 A/L batch have now been completed. To restore normalcy, two A/L batches were admitted together.

¶ 13 Hon. Member, what you stated is correct. Due to the delays, there are gaps in physical resources and congestion in hostels, and shortages in human resources, particularly subject-wise. Therefore, determining intake numbers has been done considering existing infrastructure and academic staff management at the Faculties of Education. The 2024 A/L results have been released. If only the 2023 A/L cohort were admitted now, the 2024 cohort would be admitted only after July 2026. Hence both 2023 and 2024 cohorts will be admitted together, and thereafter admissions will proceed annually. We discussed with the Deans, and decided to admit only numbers that maintain quality, considering infrastructure, hostel facilities and overall standards, rather than merely numerical expansion.

¶ 14 The Gazette notification for admissions has been prepared and is at its final stage, while the online application system is being updated. We expect to publish the Gazette in the first week of August 2025. Thereafter, interviews will be held at Faculty level and trainees will be selected, with admissions scheduled for the first week of December 2025.

¶ 15 We reviewed the 20 Faculties of Education one by one, assessing how many students can be accommodated based on physical resources and human resources. We will present the next Budget with a clear approach that prioritizes quality development over mere numbers, as these students will become our future teachers. We are particularly sensitive to this matter.

¶ 16 Thank you.