Education Administrative Service in jeopardy

Colombo (News1st) : The Public Services Commission today reached a monumental decision with regard to the government's decision to absorb 1014 people who are said to have been subject to political victimization during the previous government, to the Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service. As per this decision, a proper investigation must be carried out to ascertain where these 1014 individuals were actually politically victimized. On several previous instances, News1st's Action TV highlighted that absorbing individuals to the Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service under the political victimization list deviating from the proper process of selecting persons from the competitive examination, takes away the opportunity that is reserved to those who are actually qualified to hold such positions. On the 04th people attached to over 15 trade unions connected to the education sector, in the midst of stone and egg attacks, demonstrated opposite Isurupaya in Battaramulla calling on the Government not to make appointments using this method. The next day, the Minister of Education justified the appointments by stating that the appointments were made in a proper manner adding that challenging these decisions would be similar to challenging the public services commission. On Tuesday Action TV sought a clarification from the Public Services Commission (PSC) over the statement made by the Minister. When Action TV spoke to the Chairman of the Public Services Commission B. Dissanayake he directed us to the Secretary of the Education Service Committee of the PSC, Nimal Bandara. Bandara noted that the PSC is bound to implement the Governments decision. When questioned whether there are underqualified persons who would receive employment through this process, Bandara noted that it is not the PSC's job to check their qualifications. He noted that they act on a list formulated by the secretary to the ministry of education which is approved by the Cabinet of ministers. It was clear from the clarification given by the Commission that the statement made by the Minister in Parliament regarding the questionable appointments was false. The Public Services Commission has written to the Secretary to the Ministry of Education requesting for all personal files of the 1014 individuals who were given these questionable appointments. General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers Union Joseph Stalin weighing in on the issue stated that if these personal files are looked into everything would be exposed. Stalin noted that certain individuals who received appointments had failed maths, been interdicted for child abuse or interdicted for committing examination fraud.