Teacher transfers to go ahead, except for O/L, A/L teachers: Susil

By Ajith Siriwardana  

Refuting allegations that it was an unlawful and arbitrary decision to dissolve Teacher Transfer Boards, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said today a decision has been taken to make the teacher transfers as approved by the Teacher Transfer Board, except for the teachers who are teaching in O/L and A/L classes.  

The Minister said some 14,500 teachers have applied for transfers by 2022, as transfers did not take place in 2020, 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID pandemic.   The Minister said this, responding to a question raised by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa that the Presidential Secretariat had dissolved the Teacher Transfer Boards unlawfully and arbitrarily.  

He said 8,893 transfers had been approved by the board and added that all the teachers except for those who are teaching A/L and O/L classes, will be transferred.  

“O/L examination is scheduled for May this year and A/L examination in October or November this year. If teachers who teach O/L and A/L classes are transferred at this juncture, that would affect those students and therefore, it was decided to postpone transfers of O/L and A/L teachers and make the other scheduled transfers as approved by the Teacher Transfer Board,” he said.