Striking school principals, teachers and impacting young minds - EDITORIAL

Since Wednesday (26 June) teachers and school principals of government schools have called in sick -part of a nationwide strike action. Government schools make up the largest number of schools in the country numbering 10,126. The grouse of these professionals is the failure of the government to address ongoing salary issues in the teaching profession.

According to Joseph Stalin the leader of the teachers union, the government had failed to fully implement salary increases recommended by a special committee last year. ‘Educators’ according to Stalin had only been provided with one-third of the recommended increase and the teachers are demanding full implementation of the recommended increase.
What a stroke of luck. School principals and teachers have received a third of the recommended salary increase. Teachers also enjoy pension benefits on retirement.
Stalin failed to mention teachers provide paid private tuition to their pupils. 

In other words teachers do not provide students with an adequate education during school hours. Thus students are required to make additional payments to attend private tuition classes.
A study by H.D.S. R. Hapuarachchi of the Social Sciences and Humanities, Aquinas College in the Negombo Divisional Secretariat revealed households with a monthly income of approximately Rs.50,000 - Rs. 75,000, spent 27.5% on private tuition expenses. Households with a monthly income of around Rs.20, 000 or less spent 13.5% on private tuition expenses.

Workers in the private sector have not received a wage increase for the past two years. In fact, a number of private sector employees have seen their salaries halved and the perks they enjoyed cut during this period. In the nonformal sector (temporary or casual workers) -especially in the construction industry -around 500,00 workers- lost their employment. 

Workers on the tea estates and in the garment industry slave for a pittance of a salary. Yet these two groups together, bring in the largest share of foreign exchange earnings to the country.
There is also the question of the example, striking teachers are setting their students. Teachers are the guiding light in a student’s journey to adulthood, shaping their understanding of the world, and moulding behavioural patterns.

The unruly scenes which unfolded in front of the Fort Railway Station when police read out a Magistrates ruling to demonstrating teachers, were not behaviour any parent would want his or her sons and daughters to emulate. For the sake of future generations, we can only hope youngsters will not be tempted to follow the behaviour of school principals and teachers at the country’s main railway station.

During the ethnic war, people in the North and the East underwent enormous problems ranging from shortages of all basics. But to the eternal credit of school principals, teachers and health workers, they ensured these two important facilities continued uninterrupted. 

We can only hope that school principals, teachers and health workers in areas outside of the North take a leaf out of the book of their brothers in the then war-ravaged North and East. Rather than holding hostage the education of the children of this country let them help ensure an uninterrupted service.

Teachers and school principals must surely know the economic problems the country is facing. Our exports in February 2024, stood at US$ 1,059 -up by 7.9 percent from 982 million dollars a year ago. Sadly, the cost of imports has surged 35 percent to US$ 1,378 million a trade deficit of US$ 319 million!
Do these ‘educators’ want the government to restart printing money to meet the costs of increased salaries? The agreement between the government and international donors for a four-year extension of the grace period to repay our international creditors does not mean all is hunky-dory. 

While Lanka has received an extension of the grace period on loans taken, we have to make payment of interest on these loans annually. Those whose calling is to spread knowledge, should be at the forefront helping the uninitiated understand the gravity of the situation the country is facing -rather than exploiting it for personal gain.
Equally important, in situations of stress, teachers/educators need to exemplify decency and civilised behaviour. Not leading crude and vulgar scenes we were treated to on Wednesday.