GCE A/L STUDENTS NEGLECTED: CEYLON TEACHERS UNION

COLOMBO (News 1st): The Educational Publications Department has failed to issue appropriate school textbooks for students following the GCE Advanced Level, Ceylon Teachers' Union charged on Tuesday (Dec. 29). The Educational Publications Department in a report said it had not printed any textbooks for the GCE A/L curriculum, emphasized the Ceylon Teachers' Union. Against this backdrop, an extra textbook has been printed for GCE A/L students, Joseph Stalin, the General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers' Union said on Tuesday (Dec. 29). "The Educational Publications Department has printed 393,500 books for extra reading for GCE A/L, where the particular books were sold at the Sales Promotion Centers of the department instead of distributing it free of charge for students," Joseph Stalin told reporters at a media briefing in Colombo. He was of the view that GCE A/L students have been neglected, as a result. Whilst claiming that Director-General at the National Institute of Education - Sunil Jayantha Nawaratne had reportedly told media that authorities will print books for GCE A/L students, where the private sector could also print and sell the said books. Thereby, he questioned the purpose of the Educational Publications Department; as to whether it exists to sell books or print textbooks and distribute them among students for free. "The government is allocating funds to print textbooks and the Educational Publications Department is selling books, which is completely wrong," General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers' Union - Joseph Stalin, pointed out. Therefore, Joseph Stalin emphasized the need for proper mediation to rectify the existing issues.