New graduate teachers for State schools

Seven hundred young graduates selected from all Provinces were given their official letters of appointment by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga at a ceremony at the President's House on Wednesday.

The new graduate appointees will fill teacher vacancies in National and Provincial schools. President Kumaratunga who is also the Minister for Education handed over letters to 56 officers of the Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service recruited through a competitive examination.

The President said teaching is a noble profession and teachers are entrusted with the responsibility of moulding the lives of the future generation.

She said in 1994, school teachers were paid a paltry salary of Rs. 3500 but now it has increased four-fold making the profession dignified and honourable.

President Kumaratunga recalled that in 1999, 14,000 graduates were recruited to the State service. Early this year a record number of 42,000 graduates were recruited to the Government service. She said it was significant that nearly 50 per cent of the recruits are for the Ministry of Education.

President Kumaratunga lamented despite being a Nation not short of resources, several important national issues had been left in abeyance due to an ineffective administrative service not geared to serve modern needs.

She said because of a dearth of mature people in politics and ones without political insight, the country has not progressed as it should have. Speaking of the education sector, the President said ad doc appointments to the teaching profession of those without qualifications made the service inefficient.

President Kumaratunga said she is confident that the graduate teachers recruited now, would work to enhance efficiency and improve the quality of education.

Deputy Finance Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Chief Ministers of Western and Central Provinces Reginald Cooray and Sarath Ekanayake and senior Education Ministry officials were present.