JVP frowns on ‘militarised’ Principals

By Dasun Edirisinghe-February 28, 2013

A JVP affiliated education sector union yesterday condemned principals and education administrative officials who had accepted military ranks and said if the government wanted to give management training to them there were several state institutions whose services could be obtained for that purpose.

General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union (CTSU) Mahinda Jayasinghe told The Island that some principals wanted to flaunt their military ranks.

According to the government programme of commissioning school principals and education administrative service officials as Brevet Colonels, more than 4,000 had been called for interviews for the second batch to be commissioned, he said.

Jayasinghe said that under the first batch, 23 persons had been commissioned as Brevet Colonels, including an Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Education, the Commissioner General of Educational Publications and 21 Principals of leading schools around the country.

They had been called for a training in the National Cadet Corps again, he said.

"After getting the ranks some principals have the audacity to paste their photos in military uniform in several places in schools," he said.

The trade unionist said that if there was a need to give management training

to principals there were several government institutions, including the Management Training Institute at Meepe and the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration, but the government select military training instead.

Due to the military programme the cordial relationship between the principals and schoolchildren would be ruined, Jayasinghe said.

Need to promote local traders. Saravanabawan MP notify at Karavetti Divisional Coordination Committee meeting.

Local traders should be encouraged in our region. They should not at all get affected was said by Jaffna district parliament member E.Saravanabawan.

Jaffna district parliament member Sil Vesiri Alenrin chaired the Coordination Committee meeting held at Karavetti divisional secretariat conference hall two days back Thursday.

While addressing at the meeting he said, traders from outside districts coming in should be prevented. Our traders by acquiring loans are investing on business. They are facing difficulties to settle their loans. They should be encouraged.

Traders visiting our regions temporarily are bringing partially manufactured items from the Colombo factories which are subject to low quality and are selling here. They should be prevented and our local vendors should be encouraged, Saravanabawan said.

The difficulties faced to carry out the developments at the Udupitti Co-operative Societies was described by the Co-operative society Chairman S.Nagalingam, and the necessary assistance to acquire towards this, parliament member E.Saravanabawan gave the assurance. He requested the Society Chairman to contact him concerning this.

Nelliyadi Traders Union Chairman S.Agiladas in his address said, our society has provided electric bulbs worth of millions of rupees to fix for the Nelliyadi town. Whenever it gets damaged, we are carrying out maintenance work.

We frequently provide financial assistance to the people’s welfare projects organized by the military and police and local public movements. In this state, by permitting outside mobile traders, we the local vendors are affected drastically.

Therefore we appeal a prohibition in this region for outside traders business transactions should be imposed.

The meeting was attended by Karavetti divisional council Chairman P.Vivek and divisional council members, including many department officials

Saturday , 02 March 2013