The Education Ministry will recruit 26,000 new graduate teachers and 8,000 Science College teachers before the start of the new school term in March,said Education Minister Susil Premajayantha.
Minister Premajayantha had obtained special permission for this program from a Cabinet Review Committee chaired by the Secretary to the Prime Minister. Graduates in Government Service, under 40, are eligible to apply for the teacher positions. They have time until February 10 to submit their applications.
The Ministry will post them to teach Science and Mathematics for GCE(OL) students. Some of them will be appointed to teach Advanced Level subjects. The Ministry also plans to appoint 8,000 Science College teachers to teach primary to Ordinary Level students.
There are many teacher vacancies in schools following the recent retirement of 12,000 teachers.
The Education Ministry will employ 4,000 new graduate teacher recruits in national schools. The remaining 22,000, will be assigned to provincial schools.
Although there is an excess of Tamil teachers in the Northern and the Eastern Provinces, the schools in other provinces, including the Western Province, face a shortage of Tamil teachers. The Education Ministry hopes to post them to areas where there are Tamil teacher vacancies.