Tamil Teachers' union meets Presidential advisor

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 June 1999, 17:14 GMT]
During a meeting held in Colombo on Tuesday evening, a delegation from the Ceylon Tamil Teachers' Union (CTTU) asked Mr. S. Sivathasan, presidential advisor and Chairman of the Official Languages Committee, to establish a Tamil education zone in the Western province to ensure that Tamil students in the area have equal access to education.

The leader of the CTTU. delegation, Mr.T.Mahasivam, told the presidential advisor that the practise of appointing Tamil speaking circuit education officers to supervise Tamil schools in Negombo, Kalutara and Colombo (North and South) had now been stopped.

The administration of Tamil medium schools outside the Northeast province, including supervision and advice to Tamil teachers, is in Sinhalese, said the delegation.

The delegation asked that Tamil medium in-service advisors and assistant directors of education for special subjects should be appointed for the Tamil education zone covering Kalutara, Negombo and Colombo North and South.

The CTTU also asked that new staff be appointed to ease the acute shortage of Tamil staff at the National Institute of Education, the Department of Publications and the Department of Education.

The delegation suggested that a Tamil unit be appointed at the Department of Pensions to look after the interests of Tamil pensioners.

Mr.S.Sivathasan asked the delegation to submit information with relevant statistics so that the necessary action could be taken regarding their demands.