Teachers’ unions are calling on the Government to ensure fair salary increments if the proposed extension of school hours by 30 minutes per day is implemented.
General Secretary of the Ceylon Independent Teachers’ Services Union, Chandimal Wijeratne, stressed that the additional teaching time would translate to roughly 10 extra working hours per month, based on a 20-day working schedule.
“By extending school hours by thirty minutes per day, teachers will have to work an additional ten hours per month, within a twenty working days month. It will have a direct impact on teachers’ salaries,” he said.
The Ministry of Education is reportedly considering the extension to boost classroom productivity and academic outcomes. However, teachers’ unions argue that any structural change affecting working hours should be subject to dialogue with trade unions.
Wijeratne urged the Ministry to engage in discussions with the unions before implementing the new schedule, highlighting that unilateral decisions on workload could lead to discontent across the education sector.
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