The Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) has slammed the government for its continued silence on concerns raised by teachers’ groups and other stakeholders regarding the proposed education sector reforms.
CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin, speaking at a media briefing yesterday, urged the authorities to respond promptly and address the issues highlighted by trade unions and educational experts.
“When trade unions repeatedly pointed out the flaws and potential problems in its implementation, the government pretended to listen and is now attempting to push forward the same presentation that was shown to the nine provinces earlier,” Stalin said.
He alleged that the reforms are creating several challenges, highlighting the lack of coordination in their execution.
Although the Education Ministry had indicated that payments would be made for seminars and workshops conducted for grade six students under the new syllabus, no such payments have been released, he said.
Earlier, multiple stakeholders had expressed concern over the lack of consultation in the rollout of the education sector reforms, warning that failing to address these issues could impact the effectiveness of the programme nationwide.
Stalin also added that the unions are prepared to unite all teachers across the country in protest.
“If the government refuses to change its stance on these reforms, we will resort to massive trade union action,” Stalin warned, urging authorities to consult stakeholders before implementing any structural changes in the education sector.
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