Educators not to comment to media: Ministry

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 October 1999, 14:52 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Government has prohibited teachers, principals and education officials from expressing opinions, writing articles or issuing statements on the educational activities of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, to the mass media.

Mr.A.Andrew de Silva, Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, has issued a directive to all Secretaries of the Provincial Ministries of Education and Provincial Directors in this regard.

He has instructed all zonal directors of education in the country to conduct disciplinary inquiries against those teachers, principals and officials who violate the Establishment Code in this regard.

Mr. Andrew de Silva states in his directive that it has been found in several instances that articles, comments and statements written to the mass media by teachers, principals and officials on the educational activities of his ministry have misled the readers.

He further states that writing articles and expressing opinions on the educational activities of the ministry is a punishable offence under the Establishment Code.