News
Expert tells govt. to ditch vanity projects and look into teachers’ welfare
There were enough vanity projects that could be scrapped to provide for teachers’ allowances, teacher-accommodation close to school, and other welfare measures Dr. Sujata N. Gamage, Senior Research Fellow, LIRNEasia and Co-Coordinator, Education Forum Sri Lanka told The Island yesterday.
“A contented teacher cadre will facilitate high quality education. Such an education suited for the 21st Century will propel Sri Lanka from a low-income country to one with high-income. The return on investment in teachers and education grows exponentially,” she said.
The government should acknowledge mistakes and invite teachers to go back to work, whilst speeding up vaccinations to facilitate school re-opening when the pandemic wanes, to ease the current deadlock between them and teachers, she said.
The expert suggested that the Treasury should work out an interim-allowance for all teachers as compensation for using their own resources since schools closed and the government should give a realistic road-map on how teachers’ grievances would be addressed.
“These should be done with honesty and sincerity. The Teacher-Principal promotional scheme that the Ministry of Education is supposedly developing should be finalised soon. The new scheme should include greater accountability and responsibility by teachers. The centre of gravity should move to schools and teachers, not bureaucrats. Those ideas should be discussed with teacher unions before finalising,” Dr. Gamage said.
She said that for about two decades, on average, all teachers had been paid a basic or starting salary of less than Rs 35,000 per month. The education sector, on which future generations and socio-economic advancement of the country rested, depended almost exclusively on the contentment of 241,000 teachers.
Dr. Gamage said that a fruitful teacher-student interaction was the answer to educational advancement at least in part.
She said that an ad-hoc salary increases for teachers might lead to similar demands by other sectors and the government should appoint a team of officials who were knowledgeable on the topic, to create comparable salary structures for all similar professionals.
“This Team should give their recommendations in 6-8 weeks. This can easily be done since there are many experienced personnel available and willing to do it. Meanwhile teachers should have been given a respectable interim allowance a few months ago, for the yeoman service they have done in delivering various forms of distance education using their own resources, since schools closed 16 months ago,” she said.
“Give teachers due recognition, and empower and equip them to become knowledge-creators & change-makers in this 21st Century. Government should deal with their issues with integrity and transparency. Predict and address teacher-issues before they surface. Appoint a non-political, non-bureaucratic Ombudsman to advise them appropriately. Salary anomaly rectification is just one major issue out of many, which need answers fast,” Dr. Gamage added.
The countrywide dengue outbreak has intensified, with the death toll rising to 50, by July 16, as the number of reported infections surpassed 73,000, according to the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU).
The country has recorded 73,455 dengue cases so far this year, with the case fatality rate standing at 0.07 percent, highlighting the severity of the ongoing outbreak.
The Western Province continues to remain the worst affected region, accounting for more than half of the total cases, with 38,700 infections. The Gampaha District has recorded the highest number of cases in the province with 15,341, followed closely by Colombo with 14,625.
The Southern Province has reported 11,382 cases, while the Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces have each recorded more than 6,000 infections.
Dengue cases have shown a sharp increase in recent months, with June recording the highest monthly total of 21,538 cases, while July has already reported 18,076 infections. In comparison, 8,590 cases were reported in May, and 5,651 in April.
Health authorities have identified 175 Medical Officer of Health (MOH) areas as high-risk locations during the 27th epidemiological week. An average of 2,677 new dengue cases are being reported daily, prompting authorities to intensify prevention and mosquito control measures.
The Colombo High Court yesterday (17) resumed hearing the money laundering case filed against Yoshitha Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The proceedings were held before High Court Judge Udesh Ranatunga, where evidence was recorded from prosecution witnesses, under the direction of Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara.
President’s Counsel Sampath Mendis, appearing for Yoshitha Rajapaksa, cross-examined the witnesses during the hearing.
After recording evidence, the court ordered that further examination of evidence be postponed until July 24.
The Attorney General has filed indictments, alleging that Yoshitha Rajapaksa committed an offence, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, by purchasing five plots of land in Dehiwala and Ratmalana, valued at more than Rs. 73 million.
Former IGP Chandana Deepal Wickramaratne died after sustaining a gunshot injury at his residence, in Thalangama, yesterday (17), with police saying preliminary investigations indicate that the incident was a suspected suicide.
Kaduwela Magistrate Aruna Indrajith Buddhadasa, on Friday, ordered the Officer-in-Charge of the Malabe Police Station, Police Inspector Pradeep Ranasinghe, to conduct a formal investigation into the death and submit a report to court on its progress.
The order was issued after the Malabe Police Station presented facts before court regarding the incident.
According to police, the Malabe Police Station received information from the Police Unit of the Colombo East Base Hospital, in Mulleriyawa, that Wickramaratne, who resided in the Thalahena area, within the Malabe Police division, had died after being admitted to hospital, with gunshot injuries.
Police Spokesman ASP F.U. Wootler said Wickramaratne had allegedly used the firearm of his personal security officer and shot himself at his residence.
Police said the shooting had taken place at his residence on Parakum Road, Thalangama, on Thursday morning, before he was due to leave for his regular exercise routine. He was rushed to the Colombo East Base Hospital, in Mulleriyawa, with serious injuries but was pronounced dead upon admission, police said.
The deceased’s remains were placed at the Colombo East Base Hospital, where a post-mortem examination was scheduled to be conducted.
ASP Wootler said three police teams have been appointed to investigate the incident. Further investigations are being conducted by the Crime Division of the Western Province South Range and the Malabe Police Station.
Wickramaratne, 63, served as the 35th Inspector General of Police of Sri Lanka from November 27, 2020, to November 23, 2023.
He joined the Sri Lanka Police in 1986 as a Probationary Assistant Superintendent of Police and later served in several senior positions.
A graduate of the University of Colombo and the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, he also served as Acting IGP for more than a year, from April 28, 2019, before being appointed IGP, in November 2020.
He retired from the post of Inspector General of Police, in November 2023.
by Norman Palihawadane ✍️
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