MP Gevindu calls for filling of Sinhala teacher vacancies in the North

• There are 18 vacancies for teaching in Sinhala medium and 15 have applied. Around 12 have been qualified for the posts

 MP Gevindu Cumaratunga called for the filling of Sinhala medium teacher vacancies in the North as soon as possible.

The MP who raised the issue in Parliament recently said the following.

Arrangements are being made to appoint graduate teachers in the North. There are 18 vacancies for teaching in Sinhala medium and 15 have applied. Around 12 have been qualified for the posts. All who have sat for the IQ examination have been rejected except for one.

National Language Commission has carried out an inquiry about it. The report which has been signed by its Chairman D.  Kalansuriya has said that the national language policy has been violated. There have been some errors when translating the question paper into Sinhalese. One cannot test IQ if the questions asked are wrong.

There is an instance where some have been recruited to teach in Tamil medium in the Sabaragamuwa Province without an IQ examination as no one had applied for the said exam. There is a dearth of Sinhala medium teachers in the North. Those who applied for  Sinhala medium teacher posts are residents of North. If they have studied the particular subject they have applied for teaching, they should be appointed. We request that these applicants who have applied to teach in Sinhala in the North be recruited without considering the IQ examination.

Minister of Education Susil Premajayantha assured that the MPs’ request will be fulfilled if the applicants are less than the available vacancies.