Salary issues of principals/teachers to be addressed in budget: G.L. Peiris

• Says talks with Finance Ministry on salary issue soon
• Requests patience till November

The salary issue of teachers and school principals will be resolved in the next budget, Education Minister G.L. Peiris told Parliament yesterday.

“We are in the process of holding discussions with the Minister of Finance shortly to decide how much of funds that should be allocated for the education sector in the budget. Why can’t the Opposition and the teachers be patient till November this year?” he questioned.

In response to a question raised by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, the Minister requested the Opposition not to politicise the teachers and principals’ salary issue.

Peiris added that teachers were told to report to schools in order use the facilities in these institutions to provide online education.

“Schools are the best place to provide online education as it would be possible to hold such classes during school hours according to a timetable,” the Minister said. 

He said that the 2,962 schools with less than 100 students will open at the end of this month or early September, while other schools will be open after teachers are given both doses of COVID-19 vaccines. 

Around 87% or 253,000 teachers have been given the first dose of the vaccine as of today.