May 11, Colombo (LNW): Governor Navin Dissanayake of Sabaragamuwa Province announced the initiation of applications to recruit 800 new graduate teachers for the region. The announcement came during a discussion with a group of unemployed graduates protesting in front of the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council office complex in Ratnapura on Wednesday (8).
Governor Dissanayake informed that recruitment examinations for the 800 graduate teachers have already taken place, with the selection process slated for completion in the coming weeks. Additionally, arrangements are being made to recruit 800 graduates to fill the positions of teachers who will retire this year in the Ratnapura and Kegalle districts over the next few months.
Highlighting adherence to the teachers’ service minute, the Governor clarified that he lacks the authority to alter the age limit specified in the minute, currently set at 18-35 years.
Due to a shortage of Tamil medium graduates in the Ratnapura and Kegalle districts, applications were extended nationwide to fill the vacancies for Tamil medium graduate teachers, Governor Dissanayake noted.
Deputy Chief Secretary Susila Rajapaksa raised concerns about redundancy among 2,600 development officers in the Sabaragamuwa Province in recent times.
Parakrama Piyasena, Deputy Chief Secretary (Planning) of the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council, revealed that a survey conducted by the Provincial Council since 2019 has identified 3,202 unemployed graduates registered within the region.
