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The roadblocks to resuming education in Sri Lanka

04 Nov 2021

  • Striking a balance between teachers’ demands and students’ needs
BY Sumudu Chamara Giving students and parents an opportunity to breathe a sigh of relief last month, after months-long protests by teachers and principals, and the Covid-19 pandemic situation, the primary grades of schools were reopened, and the educational authorities have expressed hope about reopening other grades gradually.  On 21 October, the primary grades of schools with less than 200 students were reopened, and on 25 October, the primary sections of all public schools were reopened.  However, there are still challenges the mere reopening of schools cannot address, such as making up for the education students lost since last year, and in order to get the teachers’ support towards this endeavour, teachers’ and principals’ protests and their demands should be fully addressed. Unfinished protests According to Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) General Secretary Joseph Stalin, even though the spate of discussions held with the Government and educational authorities have not come to a favourable culmination, member trade unions of the Teachers-Principals Trade Unions Alliance (TPTUA) have arrived at a decision to fulfil their duties in order to support the resumption of educational activities. However, they are determined to continue the protests demanding solutions to their issues, especially the salary anomaly, which, according to them, has remained for decades. Protests held after the reopening of schools, however, will not be as intense as the protests that were held before the reopening of schools, and will be limited to small-scale protests and work-to-rule policies. Stalin noted: “What we have requested is the implementation of the Subodhini Committee (a committee appointed to address the issue of the teachers-principals salary anomaly) report recommendations, but, what the Government is proposing to implement is the recommendations put forward by the Cabinet Sub-Committee report. The latter report proposes only one-third of what the Subodhini Committee report proposed. However, we decided to take a step back, and agreed to go forward on the condition that the proposed solutions be implemented as part of the Subodhini Committee report recommendations.  “We held protests on 21 and 22 October, but we started working on 25 October under the work-to-rule policy. If we look at the present situation of the protests initiated by the teachers and principals, the truth is, the Government clearly has not taken any step forward after the meeting held with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on 12 October with regard to the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue.  “We did not agree with the proposals presented by the Premier, and we very clearly rejected them. As per the Ministerial Sub-Committee’s recommendations, which were pointed out during the discussion, the first phase of the implementation of these recommendations would take place in 2022, while the other phase of the implementation process will take place in 2023, and that is why we rejected those proposals. Even though we demanded that the full amount be paid, that request was not entertained.”  Stalin also pointed out that even though demands have not been met, discussions with the Government and the educational authorities have come to a halt following the reopening of the schools. Although various protests organised and attended by teachers’ and principals’ trade unions, trade union coalitions, and parents are still ongoing, Stalin said that they have not received any response from the Government’s side since the meeting with Rajapaksa. He also said that therefore, a number of strict measures will be taken in future. Meanwhile, Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union (CTSU) General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe elaborated on the state of the protests. “We started our struggle on 12 July, and we have passed over 110 days. At present, we are going forward while further organising our struggle, and on 25 October, we held 318 demonstrations islandwide. Parents are also ready to help us, and they are ready to participate in islandwide demonstrations in favour of our endeavour. Not only that, we are ready to launch more trade union actions after the reopening of other schools and grades, especially the General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level (A/L) and Ordinary Level (O/L) classes.” During the past few days, a number of small-scale protests were held in front of schools in various areas, and some of them had the participation of parents as well. Even though Jayasinghe said that parents participate in these protests to show their support for the teachers’ and principals’ demands, Sri Lanka Podujana Education Service Union (SLPESU) President Wasantha Handapangoda had a different opinion in this regard. She alleged that certain teachers’ trade unions are deceiving and misleading parents, and that the support of parents towards these protests is not as big as some claim. She further said that some parents had received short message service (SMS) texts from members of teachers’ trade unions, asking them to join the protests. She added that these protests, however, were not about demanding solutions to salary anomalies, and that they had displayed slogans about protecting free education and opposing payments being made for education.  Criticising the alleged use of children to get parents to participate in protests, she said: “I ask Jayasinghe and others not to deceive people in this manner. If they are planning to overthrow the Government through these kinds of actions, it is a dream. I would also like to note that we will not hesitate to remove salary anomalies, and we have not rejected the necessity to rectify it. While we are still trying to identify teachers’ burning issues and how to provide solutions to them, they have got teachers to join protests showing attractive slogans. Their fight is not as strong as it used to be.” Handapangoda also said that even though teachers’ unions organising protests anticipated a huge turnout of around 500 to 600 parents, the majority of parents did not participate in these protests, and that only a handful of these protests were even successful.  “Some parents joined these protests due to influence, and some did not have the slightest knowledge about the objectives of the protests. It is not possible to win a struggle this way. At a time when the Government is ready to extend the fullest possible support to address the salary anomalies despite the economic crisis, engaging in these activities is equal to an act of trying to overthrow the Government,” Handapangoda added. Not only about parents’ participation in protests, during the past few months, but contradictory opinions about teachers’ and principals’ protests and their demands, were expressed by different teachers’ trade unions as well, as was evident on 21 October, when schools were reopened for primary classes.  When questioned about this division among teachers and teachers’ trade unions, Jayasinghe opined that there is no such division among teachers’ trade unions, and that the trade unions that launched trade union actions under the TPTUA, are still together. He added: “There are 30 teachers’ and principals’ trade unions working with us, and there is no division among us. I think that we are moving forward very well. However, certain trade unions are trying to divide us and this struggle, but most of the teachers and principals don’t support these groups. With the trade unions that support our decisions, we can move forward. I think that we should not care about the unions that express support to the Government, because teachers and principals believe in us, and they are with us.” Expressing his opinion about the same, Stalin said: “The Government’s trade unions have no power, and what they always do is oppose everything. Some such parties said that they would launch an indefinite strike, but they did not do that. We don’t have any issues about them. This struggle is being led by the TPTUA, and we are determined to take this struggle forward.” Reopening schools and resuming education  Addressing the demands put forward by teachers and principals is merely one aspect of this issue. Making up for the time students lost since last year and ensuring that they receive a proper education, is also a huge challenge. Despite disagreements and blame games among different teachers’ and principals’ groups, and among teachers’ and principals’ trade unions and parents, when schools were reopened late last month, there was a considerable attendance of students and teachers. Even though student turnout has not completely returned to normalcy, speaking to a private television channel, parents and students expressed happiness about the reopening of schools.  “When studying online, I had to face a lot of difficulties such as weak communication signal. But now that schools have been reopened, I am happy,” one student told TV Derana, while several other students expressed happiness about being able to come back to school, and meet their classmates and teachers. Parents also expressed similar sentiments, with one mother telling that not only children, but she as a parent had also been mentally affected due to the uncertain situation regarding the reopening of schools.  Moreover, principals of leading schools expressed support towards the Government’s decision to reopen schools, and one school principal said that even retired teachers had come to the school to support the resumption of teaching activities. Speaking of the reopening of schools, Stalin said: “The Government decided to reopen schools in phases; however, the Government is planning to change the initial plan now. The issue is, the Government has not taken steps to ensure the children’s safety and provide the necessary sanitisation products. Schools are being reopened at a time when there is a risk of the spread of Covid-19, and in a context where both children and teachers have contracted Covid-19, not having a proper mechanism in schools in order to ensure children’s safety is a huge issue.” Expressing his opinion about resuming and expediting students’ educational activities, Stalin urged the Government to devise a proper plan to ensure the proper resumption of students’ education. He said: “There has been no restructuring of syllabi, which is a serious issue on the part of the Education Ministry. Children not being able to obtain education for two years is a special situation we see in Sri Lanka. Children have had to move to the next grade without actually having completed education in the previous grade. There are only two months left of this academic year, and we, teachers, cannot practically cover the syllabi meant to be taught in two years, within this short period.  “We need a new programme to address this situation and the Government, the Education Ministry, and the National Institute of Education (NIE) need to formulate a programme to address this situation. Amalgamating the syllabi of two grades and identifying and teaching the most important areas of the syllabi that need to be covered, is necessary. However we don’t see any such programme being planned.  “Education Ministry Secretary Prof. Kapila Perera had stated that 40% of last year’s syllabi and 60% of this year’s syllabi would be combined. However, we don’t see any such initiative. Schools were closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the education authorities operated during that time, and the Government had ample time to make these restructured syllabi. Efforts aimed at providing education to children will not be a success if the Government does not look into these issues and address them with teachers and principals.” He also alleged that the education authorities did not provide adequate support to promote distance education systems, which he said was extremely important to students during the time schools were closed. Speaking of the same, Jayasinghe said that even though certain suggestions have been presented to the Government and the education authorities with regard to making up for the time students lost, those suggestions had not received sufficient attention. “We have proposed so many remedies to address this; however, we don’t see the Government paying attention to them. Last year, after the closing of schools on 12 March 2020, a Presidential Task Force was appointed to look into continuing and resuming educational activities, but they have done nothing, even though they were appointed to propose remedies for the disruption of education.  “As per the solutions to effectively resume education, I think that we should integrate the syllabi of 2020 and 2021, and give the new syllabi to teachers and students. That is the only solution. But we don’t see the Government or the Education Ministry getting ready to do that, and they have not even initiated such a programme. Apart from introducing an integrated education system, I don’t see any other alternative.” Even though The Morning attempted to contact Prof. Perera to discuss the Ministry’s plans to effectively resume educational activities and make up for the time children lost, he was not reachable for comment.  The reopening of schools is merely a first step, and according to those who spoke with The Morning, in order to ensure the proper resumption and continuation of educational activities, a lot more needs to be done. Syllabi-related changes and continuous discussions between education sector stakeholders could pave the way for this gradual but essential reform.


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