'Teaching a meritorious service'

Dharma SRI ABEYRATNE

Teachers are duty bound to perform their duty with utmost dedication and devotion to create the future of the country, Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena said.

The Minister was participating in a ceremony to present appointment letters to 403 teachers, at the Education Ministry Auditorium yesterday. The Minister said teaching is not mere a employment but a meritorious service. In line with the Mahinda Chintana Idiri Dakma program, the country will definitely need more and more capable human resources who will be able to bring the country forward. Therefore, teachers have to create professionals who can cater to the development needs of the country. The younger generation have to be converted to well educated professionals by teachers to achieve the development goals, Minister Gunawardena said.

"The service of teachers cannot be measured with money since they are directly involved with the future of the next generation" The Minister added.

Appointment letters were awarded to 403 teachers. Of this amount 364 have passed out from Colleges of Education while 21 have undergone Maulavi training programs. Eighteen police officers who had been serving as voluntary teachers for a certain period of time in difficult areas also received their appointment letters. These police officers who were received appointment letters have the necessary qualification for entering the teachers service.

Deputy Education Minister Wijayamuni Soysa said the new teachers are in the forefront of the education development of the country.

A teacher always has to maintain the dignity of the teaching profession. "Teachers are engaging in a service though they are paid. It is upto the teacher to create a valuable citizen or a notorious person" the Deputy Minister added.