Rectify anomaly in teacher deployment – President directs authorities

President Mahinda Rajapaksa Sunday directed the educational authorities to rectify immediately the disparities in teacher deployment among the schools island wide.

President said that when he visited the schools in the rural areas the students do not ask for buildings or other resources but for teachers.n the contrary the schools in the urban areas have excess of teachers.

The President made these observations addressing a gathering
following the declaring open the Sri Lanka – Singapore Friendship
College in Weeraketiya funded by the Singapore Red Cross Society.

“We have to maintain equity in resources in all schools whether it is
urban or rural” said President.
The President was of the opinion that the States efforts to deploy the
required number of teachers equitably are being defeated by
influential sectors including politicians who connive with teachers
who dodge the responsibility of serving students not of their choice.

The student -teacher ratio in the country has drastically come down to
19 student for one teacher from earlier 29 – 1 some time back. But
there is an acute shortage for core subjects in the rural areas while
the urban areas have the surplus. During the last five years over
20,000 teachers were recruited and there is an annual intake for
training as teachers through Colleges of Educations.
Therefore, the President urged the relevant authorities to do an
extensive study on the matter and come out with a balance teacher
deployment mechanism in order to alleviate inequity in distribution.

President Rajapaksa after vesting the facility with the public said
that it was time to take clear and strict decisions to alleviate
anomalies as the Government’s biggest investment was on education. The
efforts are pioneered by the Singapore Sinhala Association with help
from other relevant stakeholders of the area and is funded by the
Singapore Red Cross Society. The modern structure and facilities built
in accordance with the best practices has cost over US $ five million.

The land for the School premises has been donated by Kondagala Raja
Maha Viharaya Chief Incumbent, Ven. Narandeniye Deepananda Thera. The
event was also addressed by Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa, Singapore Red
Cross Society Chairman Tea Tua Bah and the President of the Singapore
Sinhala Association Dr. Oliver Hennedi.

First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa, Southern Province Governor Kumari
Balasuriya, Ministers Mahinda Amaraweera, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene,
Namal Rajapaksa MP, V.K. Indika MP and Southern Province Chief
Minister Shan Wijeyalal de Silva were also present