Part time English teachers picket NE provincial education ministry

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 September 2003, 15:49 GMT]
The activities of the North East Provincial Ministry of Education and the Provincial Department of Education located at Orr's Hill in Trincomalee, the administrative capital of the NE Provincial Council, came to a standstill Wednesday due to picketing by hundreds of part time English teachers who launched a fasting campaign on a rotating basis Monday, demanding that they should be granted permanency, sources said.

Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians Messrs Selvam Adaikalanathan, G.Krishnapillai and M.K.Sivajilingam participated at the picketing along with part time English teachers, the sources said.

Picketers blocked all the entrances to the education department and the education ministry.

" Part time English teachers have a right to demand permanency as they have been teaching the English language to children in the NE schools under a difficult situation during the war period. It is their basic right," said parliamentarian Mr.Selvam Adaikalanathan addressing picketers Wednesday evening.

Parliamentarian Mr.M.K.Sivajilingam said " We will be taking the issue at the proposed meeting with the Prime Minister, Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, scheduled to be held on September 8. Muslim parliamentarians would also support the cause of part time English teachers as all communities participate in the struggle for permanent appointment. We would enlist the support of Sinhala parliamentarians too in this regard."

Parliamentarian Mr.G.Krishnapillai said," The services rendered to English education in rural areas in the Northeast during difficult times should be honoured by granting permanency to the part time English teachers who have been working since 1992."

Parliamentarian Mr.R.Sampanthan said, " We will be submitting a memorandum to the Prime Minister and Education Minister during next week talks with valid reasons that they should be granted permanency."

Parliamentarian Mr. K. Thurairatnasingham also participated.

The North East Part time English Teachers Association officials announced at the end of the meeting that they were calling off the one day picketing but would continue their fasting on rotation basis as usual until they received an assurance, sources said.




Part time English teachers picketing blocking the main entrance of the provincial education ministry



Women teachers picketing under hot Sun



Parliamantarians Sivajilingam and Krishnapillai speaking



Police officers speaking to parliamentarian Mr.Sivajilingam who is seen among the picketing part time English teachers