The National United Teachers’ Union (NUTU) yesterday raised serious concerns over the manner in which the new education reforms are being implemented, claiming that the process lacks proper planning, training, and assessment mechanisms.
NUTU Chief Secretary Ramith Wijesiri said education reforms cannot be introduced abruptly and should instead follow a structured pilot programme. “An education reform cannot be implemented all at once like a monkey census. It must be introduced gradually through a pilot programme,” he said.
He alleged that teachers were given only a very short period of training to implement the new system, which, according to the union, has contributed to its failure.
Wijesiri also pointed out alleged irregularities in the preparation of training modules, claiming that external web links had been included in addition to government-approved sources. He further claimed that the new education reform framework does not include a proper draft or an assessment mechanism.
Meanwhile, Wijesiri said a disciplinary investigation has been initiated against the union’s Vice President in Kandy following comments made on social media highlighting shortcomings in the reforms. He claimed the inquiry violates the official’s freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 14(1) of the Constitution, adding that the union is considering legal action in this regard.
