The “Ranil Rajapaksa” government is systematically curtailing the rights that have existed so far in relation to education, charges the leader of a major trade union.
Tertiary education that has been provided free for those children who fall out of education after Ordinary level and Advanced level examinations, has been taken away from them, according to the Ceylon Teachers Union.
Speaking to the media in Colombo the General Secretary of Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU), Joseph Stalin has said that the National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA) and other vocational training institutes in Sri Lanka have changed their method of recruiting students as the ministry of education has decided to charge a fee from students.
“What has the current government done? They have made a decision to take a fee for the diplomas as well”
Further, the senior trade union leader displayed how advertisements have been published in the newspapers regarding charging fees for such courses.
The leader of the teacher’s union stated how children from poverty-stricken and low-income earning families often resort to vocational training education and when the government takes a decision to make money from these course programmes, those children would also avoid going to such institutions.
“In general, we know that in the villages, those who fail in education and cannot pass the exam, if they have to get their education through other means and when it is sold for money, where will these children go? What will happen to those who cannot come?” he questioned.
Although earlier there was a separate Cabinet Ministry for vocational training education, the previous government changed that into a state ministry. The teacher’s union leader further emphasized that the current government has made vocational training education just another department of the Ministry of Education.
Pointing out that the opportunity for low-income children to reach the top of the country is being lost due to having to pay for education Joseph Stalin questions what the responsible parties expect by sending vocational training (normally considered as a part of tertiary education) to the bottom in this way.
“This government is trying to cut costs. To cut education,” said Joseph Stalin, the general secretary of the Ceylon Teachers’ Association, urging the Ministry of Education to immediately cancel the decision to charge money for the courses.
