children’s future in great peril due to interim orders – Education Minister and Lawyer Dr. Susil
Court Order bars principal, teacher appointments
Wants Civil Procedure Code on interim orders amended
Education Minister Dr. Susil Premajayantha told Parliament yesterday that there is no possibility to recruit Principals and teachers to schools since there is a six-month interim order. Because of this interim order, injustice has been caused to the children and no one is talking about this injustice that has happened to the children. The Minister said this while replying to the question raised by SJB MP Rohini Kumari Wijeratne.
The Minister stated that there should be a time limit for interim orders and this has to be rectified by amending the Civil Procedure Code.
It would be very good if the Minister of Justice amends the Code of Civil Procedure by determining the period of validity of an interim order. Therefore, I request the Minister of Justice to do so because some people are trying to stretch interim orders into indefinite periods. He said that it is regrettable that the petitioners who filed the case did not understand the seriousness of the violation of the children’s right to education since the cases against the recruitment of teachers and principals are not like land cases.
The Minister said that there are 32,000 teacher vacancies and 22,000 were recruited to schools 3 years ago during the recruitment of development officers to the public service without any transparency. Those recruitments were made without any proper system.However, a group of people went to court and filed a case when steps were taken to provide proper teacher education to these people after formal training. However, the children have been deprived of this. He said that the court had given an interim order to prevent the appointment for six months and some people are trying to stretch interim orders into indefinite period.
He said that Provincial Councils will be given authority within the next two weeks to appoint graduates to replace teachers who have retired and left the service
The Minister also said that Authority will be vested with Provincial Councils according to the regulations of Teacher Services and the approval of the Cabinet will be obtained for this endeavour shortly.
The Minister said that 700 graduates to teach science, technology and English subjects have been gazetted to be recruited in the Central Province and steps will be taken to provide sufficient numbers of teachers to the children regardless of whatever obstacles.
For example, by assigning a person with a degree in archeology to the primary section of a school, the formal education of schools will collapse, and the minister also said that not only the effect of Covid but also this informal teacher attachment has affected the disruption of the education activities in the primary section.
The Minister also said that the circular issued by the Central Provincial Education Director that the annual salary increases of the Principals who fail to reach the 90 percent pass mark at GCE Ordinary Level will be suspended immediately. The Minister said that policy decisions regarding education are taken by the Ministry of Education and provincial education directors can carry out administrative work related to that province but cannot take such decisions. The Minister said that he holds discussions with the Provincial Education Directors every month through Zoom meetings and would issue a notification for them that circulars should not be issued without asking the Ministry of Education about such matters.
Justice Minister Dr.Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said that if there is a need for a policy on interim orders given by Courts,it can be discussed and a decision taken.
The Minister mentioned this after a request made by Minister Dr.Susil Premajayantha to amend the Code of Civil Procedure in relation to interim orders.
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