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Urban schools face severe A/L teacher shortage – CTU

Published

1 month ago

April 9, 2025

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The Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) has raised alarm over a critical shortage of teachers for the G.C.E. Advanced Level (A/L) in schools islandwide, especially in urban national schools.

CTU Secretary Joseph Stalin stated that the government has failed to implement any concrete plans to address the shortage, despite consistent claims that the education sector is lacking approximately 30,000 teachers.

“The government keeps repeating that there’s a shortage, but there’s no action to recruit teachers. National schools in cities like Colombo are severely affected—especially when it comes to A/L classes. Existing teachers are burdened with excessive workloads, and there’s a dire need for English medium graduates in science and mathematics, as well as qualified IT teachers”, Stalin stressed.

Meanwhile, Director of the Postgraduate Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Peradeniya Prof. Wasantha Athukorala
He described the situation as a “serious crisis” that threatens the quality of education for thousands of students preparing for university entrance.

Meanwhile, Director of the Postgraduate Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Peradeniya Prof. Wasantha Athukorala has pointed to the booming informal tutoring sector as a direct consequence of these teacher shortages.

He has also criticized the 2025 budget, saying it failed to address the longstanding issues in the education sector.

Previously, Prof. Athukorala has also pointed out that private tuition teachers in the country collectively earn Rs.210 billion annually and that this massive revenue stream remains outside any taxation framework.

Related News :

Tuition masters earn over Rs.210 billion annually – Prof. Athukorala

News

PC suspended for WhatsApping confidential police info

Published

2 hours ago

May 15, 2025

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.A constable attached to the Parliamentary Security Division has been suspended for allegedly sharing confidential police information through a WhatsApp group, violating official protocols.

According to Police Headquarters, the suspect had been operating a WhatsApp group under the name “CRTM / RTM message No. 3” on his personal phone without authorization from senior officers.

Investigations revealed that several members of the group were civilians or unaffiliated with the police, and that sensitive internal communications meant for police personnel were shared with unauthorized individuals.

The SSP, Director of the Parliamentary Security Division, has suspended the constable for breaching discipline by irresponsibly disclosing confidential police matters to outsiders.

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DMT holds “Vehicle tuning dansala” for Vesak

Published

2 hours ago

May 15, 2025

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The Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) has organized a special “vehicle tuning Dansala” to be held today and tomorrow (May 15 and 16) in front of its head office in Narahenpita.

In an official statement, the department noted that old motorcycles and three-wheelers – comprising the majority of Sri Lanka’s vehicle population – often lack systematic maintenance due to economic constraints, leading to harmful emissions.

The initiative, organized for the third time by the DMT’s Motor Vehicle Emissions Trust Fund, aims to address this issue.

Free tuning services for motorcycles and three-wheelers will be provided at the dansala, with support from some of Sri Lanka’s most experienced vehicle technicians.

Through this effort, the DMT hopes to improve fuel efficiency, reduce unnecessary fuel expenses, and minimize harmful emissions.

News

New conditions for bus imports from Jan. 2026

Published

2 hours ago

May 15, 2025

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Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation – Bimal Rathnayake has announced that the government will implement new regulations for the import of public transport buses starting January next year.

Speaking at a media briefing yesterday (May 14), the Minister stated that under the revised guidelines, only buses meeting modern safety and quality standards will be approved for import.

He further stated that the Ministry of Transport will begin inspections to ensure all public transport vehicles currently in operation comply with required safety and operational standards.