More benefits and privileges to teachers

The circular number 2005/4 relating to teacher promotions issued by the Ministry of Education which has earned both praise and criticism from various trade unions, offers more privileges and benefits to teachers than the previous circulars numbers 2000/14 and 2004/01 which were replaced by it.

This is because the new circular number 2005/4 was drawn up with the agreement of the trade unions themselves, the Education Ministry said yesterday.

The Ministry elucidating this matter listed the following benefits which will accrue to teachers on account of this circular.

They are: Cabinet approval has been obtained to grant a monthly allowance of Rs. 1,500, and Rs. 2,500 to teachers in difficult and very difficult schools in addition to their salaries with effect from January 1, 2005. This will be paid as soon as it is approved by the Administrative Reforms Committee.

All teachers numbering over 5,000 who have not been amalgamated to the teaching service will be amalgamated to the service. Diploma teachers with two to three years service will be considered as trained teachers and amalgamated to teaching service Grade 3 - 1.

The promotion process will be implemented with transparency on a national level equally applicable to Provincial Councils and National School teachers. Thirty thousand graduate, trained and Moulavi teachers will be made permanent. Their trainee period will be considered as permanent service and promotions granted accordingly.

Teachers passing out from Colleges of Education in 2005 will be given appointment in February 2005 and henceforth Colleges of Education Teachers will be given postings from January 1 itself.

Graduate teachers stagnating in the same position will be able to obtain promotions by two or three steps since trainee period is considered as a period of permanent service. Nearly 30,000 teachers will gain promotions to Grade 1 on account of the new circular. Which will provide benefits to total of nearly 150,000 teachers.

All Provincial authorities have been directed to provide the above benefits their teachers within three months.

The Education Ministry release said all trade unions except one had already requested the Ministry to implement this circular without delay. They were of the view that the circular had solved most of the teacher problems relating to promotions.

Therefore what needs to be done is to implement this circular forthwith rather than to cancel it, the Education Ministry release emphasised.

The release said apart from the benefits, the Ministry has decided to grant the following facilities as well to the members of the teaching profession. They are: to give priority to children of teachers serving difficult schools in admitting students to Grade 1 classes, implement a special marks scheme in respect of teachers in difficult service at various interviews, effect college of education teacher appointments for 2005 in February 2005 itself.

Build housing complexes for teachers serving in difficult areas.

Work on a housing scheme has already started in the North Central Province and it will provide residential facilities to nearby 50 teachers. Plans are afoot to build similar housing complexes in Uva, Sabaragamuwa and North-East provinces. Volunteer teachers with three years uninterrupted service in difficult and very difficult areas will be absorbed into permanent scheme.

Steps will be taken to limit the number of students in a classroom and provide teachers with a suitable background for the teaching process. Steps have been taken to exempt principals and teachers from the complex process of Grade One admissions and hand it over to the Ministry.

Steps have also been taken to implement a permanent teacher transfer policy from June 1, 2005. Furthermore additional burdens cast on teachers due to teacher shortage have been relieved by recruiting 18,000 graduates to the teaching service. Steps have been taken to provide short-term in service training programs and teacher development programs within the school compound itself.

A foreign scholarship scheme has also been implemented for the benefit of teachers and a group of IT teachers have already benefitted from this scheme.

Teacher education programs have been reactivated by re-organising teacher training schools and special training programs are being conducted for science, mathematics, English and IT teachers.