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Countrywide survey of volunteer teachers

by Manjula Fernando

The Education Ministry has begun a countrywide survey of volunteer teachers to prepare a comprehensive database for future reference.

"The North Central and North Western Volunteer teachers' issue dragged on because the authorities conveyed incorrect information to the Ministry. The Provincial Directors claimed they had no volunteer teacher under their purview which proved to be wrong later," an Education Ministry spokesman said yesterday.

"We felt the necessity of our own database since it was evident we cannot entirely depend on information provided by the line Ministries," he said.

The Ministry said recruitment of volunteer teachers has been stopped since 1990 but the Provincial Ministries have continued to do so.

Under the direction of Education Minister Dr.Karunasena Kodituwakku the Ministry has written to all provincial education authorities to submit full details about teachers serving on voluntary or casual basis in schools under their jurisdiction.

With the intervention of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the North Central and North Western volunteer teachers gave up their two day long death fast on Tuesday. They were staging a continuous protest in front of the Education Ministry since last October demanding permanent jobs. The Prime Minister had promised to appoint a Ministerial sub committee to look into the issue and provide relief by March 15.

An independent survey carried out by a Non Governmental Organisation has revealed that there are nearly 6,000 volunteer teachers in the island. 

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