Education ministry attempts to make appointments for political needs

Colombo (News 1st): Action TV is in possession of information on yet another attempt to make appointments based on political needs. The Sri Lankan saying "Parangiya Kotte giya wage" is an apt expression to describe actions of this sort. It is clear that the Ministry of Education in the guise of making appointments to 3868 vacancies for sports and physical training teachers in the country are blatantly violating the Sri Lanka teachers service constitution and attempting to make 3868 unsuitable appointments. As revealed by Action TV on Wednesday (April 17), this letter from the additional secretary on control at the Ministry of Education, states that 3868 candidates who had passed 6 subjects including Sinhala and Maths at the G.C.E. Ordinary Level Examination are due to receive appointment letters for the post of sports and physical training teachers from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Action TV first revealed details on the qualifications for these appointments on September 18 2017. It is surprising that sports and physical education division of the Health Ministry, which is responsible for the subject of health and physical education at schools was left out of this entire recruitment process. Instead, the additional secretary on control and the additional secretary on school works, are spearheading the process in securing these appointments. As per this letter dated April 2nd 2019 the additional secretary for school works had requested the zonal education directors to immediately inform him of the vacancies for sports and physical training teachers in their educational zones. This letter forwarded by the same additional secretary dated April 12th 2019 raised a few eyebrows. The letters state that as 3868 sports and physical training teachers are due to be recruited zonal workshops should be organized for them. The line ministry which is due to recruit 3868 unqualified sports and physical training teachers are likely passing the task of training these unqualified teachers, to the provincial councils. The first voice against the burdening of provincial councils through illegal appointments made by the line ministry based on political affiliations was raised in the Central Province. Governor of the North Central Province Sarath Ekanayake noted that there is no actual vacancy for the post of a sports trainer because there is no such post at schools of the central government or provincial councils. He noted that when speaking about the financial requirements to pay their salaries, this could be beyond our capabilities. As Sarath Ekanayake who opposed these recruitments is the current governor of the North Central Province, none of the 3868 recruits will be accepted to schools that come under the purview of the North Central Provincial Council.

If all the other Provincial Councils follow suit, what will happen to the 3868 teachers who received recruitment letters from the Prime Minister?

Secretary to the President this is over to you.