Tamils ignored in promoting Principals -CTTU

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 September 2001, 12:13 GMT]
The Educational Services Board under the Ministry of Education has promoted 200 Principals to Grade One post. One of them is a Tamil from Nawalapitiya in the central province, another is a Muslim. The remaining 198 are Sinhalese. "Not a single Tamil medium Principal in the northeast province has got promotion. In fact about 850 vacancies exist in northeast Tamil medium schools. On the whole about 1,500 vacancies exist throughout the island for Tamil medium principals in all grades," said Mr.T.Mahasivam, General Secretary of the Ceylon Tamil Teachers' Union.

The Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union has now called for the cancellation of the Grade One principal appointments immediately.

Mr.Mahasivam said, "Educational Services Board (ESB) called for applications from principals for grade one promotion through a competitive examination. One of the conditions lay down was the selection would be made purely on merit and ethnic ratio. Of the two hundred principals promoted, about sixty Tamil medium principals should have been given promotions, according to ethnic ratio. But this was not done."

"This would certainly affect the education of Tamil medium students," he added.

"Sinhalese principals in the island are in excess, according to statistics available in education ministry. Therefore the ministry of education should take prompt steps to undo the injustice done to Tamil medium teachers and students," remarked Mr.Mahasivam.