O/L practicals: Teachers to withdraw from duty

Teachers’ and principals’ trade unions have decided to withdraw from duties at the GCE Ordinary Level practical examination which is due to commence tomorrow, until their salary issues are resolved by the Government.

The unions have told the Education Ministry that their trade union action will continue since the demands have not been met. Seventeen trade unions representing school principals and teachers including the Ceylon Independent Teachers’ Services Union (ITSU) had reportedly joined the strike. Parents, students and certain teachers have criticised the action of the trade unions saying that it was an injustice to hold schoolchildren to ransom to win their demands during a crisis created by a world pandemic.