The Education Ministry has recruited 7,500 teacher trainees who had passed out from the National Colleges of Education and another 5,500 graduates will be recruited soon to fill vacancies in Government schools to teach Science, Mathematics, Technology, Geography, Languages and Commerce.
Kurunegala District Senior Director of Education W.M. Balasooriya said that around 6,248 Government school teachers will retire at the end of this year and another 1,302 experienced teachers had applied to go abroad for lucrative jobs. Consequently, there will be an acute shortage of teachers in remote Government National and Provincial schools by next year.
Balasooriya told a meeting of school heads of the Kurunegala district that the Education Ministry in a circular has called upon all school heads to send in their teacher requirements early.
He said some schools had not received the free textbooks so far and steps are now being taken to provide the books. Many students do not use the free text books properly. Some students deface the textbooks and they should be warned that ruining public property is a punishable offence.
Balasooriya said nearly Rs. 9,000 million is spent annually to print textbooks and this can be reduced by 25 percent, if students handle their textbooks properly.
Senior school students will be instructed on career guidance courses next year and 5,800 teachers would be appointed at the outset of the first academic term of next year, he added.