Teachers, principals back at work amid threat by Govt.

 to make education an essential service

• The second round of evaluation for the 2024 GCE A/L examination began yesterday

Following requests by acting Education Minister Bandula Gunawardane to report to work and warning by President Ranil Wickremesinghe that education will be declared an essential, teachers and principals reported to duty yesterday with schools across the country becoming functional.

Schools in Central, Southern, North Central and Western Provinces were functioning normally, according to our correspondents.

Secretary to the Southern Province Ministry of Education Ranjith Yapa said that schools in the entire province were functioning normally.

The situation was the same in the Central Province according to the Zonal Director, Central Province Amarasiri Priyadasa. Accordingly, schools in Kandy, Nuwara- Eliya and Matale were also functioning as usual according to our correspondents.

Attendance of children in Anuradhapura was 50 per cent at some schools, while teacher attendance was said to be 70 per cent. Attendance among children were 95 per cent in the Grades in which term examinations were held.
Minister Gunawardane also requested the parents to send their children to school.

Principals in some schools including Gampaha District had sent in notices to parents asking them to send their children yesterday.

Meanwhile, the second round of evaluation of answer scripts from the 2024 GCE Advanced Level (A/L) examination began yesterday according to the Department of Examinations. The Department said approximately 80% of the initial marking process has already been completed. The evaluation process will continue at the same location for the next 10 days to ensure accuracy and consistency in grading. Teachers who were engaged in paper marking were performing their duties wearing black bands as a mark of protest against the failure of authorities to heed their requests. The department has also thanked all the educators and staff involved in the evaluation process for their hard work and dedication.

The results of the A/L examinations are expected to be released shortly after the completion of the second round of evaluations.

(Reports by B. G. Chathuranga, Prasad Rukmal, Shane Seneviratne, D. G. Sugathapala and Santha Chandrasiri)       

• Attendance of children in Anuradhapura was 50 per cent at some schools, while teacher attendance was said to be 70 per cent. Attendance among children were 95 per cent in the Grades in which term examinations were held