The Minister of Education Dr. Susil Premajayantha says that the applications for the competitive examination for recruiting 26,000 graduates as teachers who are in the government service has already commenced with the main objective of sending a high-quality teacher into the classroom covering the teacher shortage prevailing in the schools.
The minister stated this while expressing his ideas to the media after participating in the 195th Pirivena Education Council meeting held at the palace of tooth relic, Kandy.
Further expressing his views at this occasion, the Minister Susil Premajayantha said that these appointments are given targeting the graduates including the Development Officers who joined the state service in the years 2018, 2019 and 2020 and all under employed graduates not exceeding the age of 40 years can apply for this. More than two weeks’ time has been allocated to apply online (http://applications.doenets.lk/exams) for this. The applicants have the option to apply for 5 years in his/her own province, adjoining province or any other desired province. The department of examinations is in the process of arranging necessary activities to hold an examination island wide depending on the number of applications receiving for this purpose and most probably this examination will be able to be held within the month of March, the minister assured.
The marks obtained in this exam will be issued at provincial level and the interviews will be held at provincial level for provincial schools and at the ministry of education level for national schools and the appointments will be given as trainees subjected to three years’ probation period after that they will be integrated into teacher service, the minister said.
During this probation period, the trainees must complete the post graduate diploma in education of the National Institute of Education and acquire a formal teacher training theoretically and practically at its regional centers island wide. The final aim if this program is to send a high-quality teacher to the classroom, the minister said. The minister further stated at this occasion that the teaching appointments will be given to the diploma holders of National Colleges of Education after verifying the results by coming February and it is expected through this program to solve the teacher shortage created by the retirement of large number of teachers at the end of last year and to balance the teacher transfers accordingly
