News
Minister warns any band-aid solutions will lead to much bigger crisis
GL appeals to teachers not to look at issues through politics
By Saman Indrajith
Education Minister Prof G.L. Peiris queried in Parliament yesterday how the teachers would justify their absence from schools affecting 4,063,000 children amidst a grave crisis.
The Minister raised the question while responding to several issues raised by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa on teachers’ salary anomalies and subsequent trade union actions.
Prof Peiris said that the government had made a policy decision to solve the teachers’ salary anomalies within three months. The solution would be included in the annual budget proposals. It would solve the salary problem of teachers once and for all in a just and fair manner. There was no way to make an arbitrary decision on the matter as demanded by the Opposition Leader, the Minister said.
Minister Prof Peiris said that the incumbent opposition leader as a former Cabinet minister should be aware that a problem of that magnitude could only be solved in the annual budget proposals without offering band-aid solutions paving the way for further anomalies in salary structures of other public services.
The minister said that the government continued to pay the salaries of teachers and other public servants without any deductions although some private sector companies had cut down the salaries of their workers by around 40 per cent on account of the pandemic. “How can the teachers justify their union action of demanding salary hikes at a time when the economy is reeling from the shock of the pandemic? Who are they trying to avenge by their actions,” the Minister queried.
Minister Prof Peiris said that the government had accepted the fact that there was a salary anomaly issue in the teaching profession as per the findings of reports of the committees that had looked into the matter. Similarly, the government in principle agreed that the teachers should be paid a better salary. But when you view the issue from a macro-perspective it could be seen that there were other public services and their salary structures should not be affected by any solution offered to the salary anomaly issue in the teacher service, the minister said.
The Supreme Court had made a ruling to convert the teaching profession into a closed-service and the government too would be abiding by that decision, the minister said.
Prof. Peiris pointed out that as per the requirements of the time there was a need for continuing the online education and the best place for teachers to conduct online sessions was in the schools with internet and other infrastructure facilities. As per the latest statistics, 84 percent of teachers had been given the first dose of the anti-COVID19 vaccine and the schools would be open only after all teachers and non- academic staff members were vaccinated against the virus, the minister said.
Minister Peiris said that he, as a minister who had been benefited by the education system of this country, wanted to solve the issue. He said that he obtained his first degree from a local university and had been a teacher for more than 26 year and was well aware of the problems prevailing in the education sector and that it was his wish to solve those problems prevailing there.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
