The Ceylon Teachers Association has charged that Administration level Education officers over 60 years of age were being employed in the Northern and Eastern provinces violating public administration circulars.

CTA President Joseph Stalin told the Daily Mirror that vacancies for Zonal Education Directors in Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar and Jaffna education zones in the Northern province were vacant since the directors had retired.

“At the moment, some officers over 60 are being employed in the Northern and Eastern regions, though government officers must retire by the age of 57 according to the Public Administration Ministry Circulars,” said Mr. Stalin.

He urged that the vacancies for Zonal Education Directors be filled according to the proper administration mechanism.

The CTA president alleged that although applications for Education Administrators in Ampara, Akkaraipattu, Batticaloa central and Trincomalee North Education zones had been received, the vacancies had not been filled yet.northern province Governor G. A. Chandrasiri, dismissed the charges saying the vacancies would be filled soon and that the Northern Provincial Council was following guidelines laid Except for a few, all other officers over 60, in the Northern provincial council are not working down by the Education Ministry and the Public Services Commission.

“Except for a few all other officers over 60, in the Northern provincial council are not working from last Wednesday. We recommended that a few officers stay on since their services are essential. But they can’t be employed until the Cabinet approves their selection. The advertisements calling for applications will be published by the Public Services Commission, next week, ” Mr. Chandrasiri said.

The Governor said a detailed discussion was held regarding the ‘Annual Teacher Transfers 2011’ with members of the Teachers’ Transfer Board and the members of Teacher Unions including the Ceylon Teachers’ Union, Tamil Teachers’ union and the Muslim Teachers’ union in Jaffna last week.

Source: Daily Mirror - Sri Lanka