President of the National Movement for a Just Society, former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya yesterday said that Sri Lanka must be concerned about the professional dignity of the Sri Lankan teachers and that the government must place great emphasis on education.

Jayasuriya has said that they salute the teachers for their service. The entire nation must be mindful of the dignity of the teachers given the important role they play in shaping the future generations of the country.

“Considering the tremendous social transformation that has taken place in Sri Lanka since the introduction of the free education system, we can see the great role played by the education professionals is great. That is why the teacher has great social prestige,” he said.

Jayasuriya has said that the pride teachers have of their profession is a good indication of their drive and motivation. Having teachers with drive and motivation is vital for preparing children for the future. That is why Sri Lanka needs to pay close attention to the grievances of teachers.

“We work in a context where we must pay close attention to the future of the education system. Children have missed school for over two years. We must ensure that they can start their academic activities as soon as possible. Having teachers on the road is not a good way of going about it. We can’t also force teachers back into schools because they will return with their spirits crushed,” he said.

The former Speaker said that they demand the government to address the demands made by the teachers and principals so that they can live in dignity. Jayasuriya said that the issues faced by the teachers have not been solved for 24 years and that successive governments are to be blamed for the current situation.

“However, this is not an excuse to ignore their demands. From what I see every political party supports the demands of teachers and the government can do whatever it takes to solve this issue,” he said.