National People’s Power MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that it has been three months since the principals and teachers commenced their protests demanding solutions for their salary issues, but so far the Government has not been able to provide a viable solution.
Raising questions under Standing Orders 27/2 Dissanayake posed several questions to the Minister of Education for his response.
“As a result the teachers and principals issue is being dragged on, affecting the education of over 4 million students.”
He noted that in the past, several Commissions had been appointed to resolve these teachers and principals salary anomalies, but none of them had been able to come up with a viable solution. “Moreover, the National Wages Commissions of all Governments that were in power so far, had not been able to resolve this salary anomaly issue.”
Dissanayake also noted that teachers and principals had refrained from engaging in marking of A/L papers in 2007 and 2008. Subsequently, in 2008 the Supreme Court had issued two orders until such time the salary anomalies were resolved.
He said that it was stated that the then President (Current Prime Minister) who was the Finance Minister had allocated Rs. 3,000 million through the Budget of 2009 to resolve the salary anomalies.
“Eventually, nothing was allocated to resolve the salary anomalies and neither were they paid the two increments ordered by the Courts and these teachers and principals were again cheated and lied to.”The NPP MP pointed out that despite many agitations, protests and various actions by the teachers and principals, they were unable to win their rights.
He also noted that these teachers and principals were disgruntled over the Government’s latest ploy to entice them to give up their agitations by promising them a Rs. 5,000 allowance.
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