Student shortage will give teachers VRS in five years: Minister

Due to not having students in schools for Ordinary Level (O/L) and Advanced Level (A/L) classes, all teachers will be able to enjoy a Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) after five years, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said.

While participating in the inauguration of the new three-storied Faculty of Technology building at the Natathandiya Dhammissara College, the Minister said that he has advised the teachers' and principals' union to engage with school activities without engaging in strikes.

"With the issus in schools, the students will not enter GCE O/L and A/L classes after five years as they cannot find the required knowledge from government schools," he said.

The students always need to pass the exams and there are various ways to find the knowledge and to pass them on. The students will not wait till the issues of the teachers and principals are solved, he added.

"They will find aalternative ways such as leaving government schools and joining private schools and universities and some students may even join foreign schools and universities," the Minister said.