Teacher recruitment must protect education quality, Prime Minister tells Parliament

Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya told Parliament on Friday that teacher recruitment must be carried out through a proper process to protect the quality of education, while also ensuring fair treatment for development officers and graduates waiting to enter the teaching profession.

She said the Government’s first priority was children and the quality of the education they receive.

Teachers could not be recruited simply to provide employment, she said, adding that appointments, training and other requirements had to be handled properly because of the central role teachers play in maintaining education standards.

Amarasuriya acknowledged the contribution made by development officers who had worked in schools, particularly in difficult and remote areas, and said they too deserved a fair solution.

However, she said the issue had become complex because of several court cases and settlements that had to be addressed before the Government could move to the next stage of recruitment.

The Prime Minister said another group also had to be considered: graduates who had qualified during the past several years and had been waiting for an opportunity to enter the teaching profession.

“There are three groups that we have to consider. Children come first, and ensuring the quality of their education is our main objective. Then there are the development officers, and there are also graduates who have been waiting to enter the teaching profession. We have to be fair to all three,” she said.

Amarasuriya said the Government was closely monitoring teacher vacancies and managing the recruitment process on an ongoing basis.

Only after the current process was completed could the remaining vacancies be filled, she said.

The Prime Minister added that vacancy figures were being obtained from the provinces and included shortages in both national and provincial schools, broken down according to subject requirements.