CTU complains about exam centre closure over saree policy

17 January 2025 08:19 am Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 12 Bookmark

CHATURANGA PRADEEP SAMARAWICKRAMA Follow

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Colombo, January17 (Daily Mirror) - The Ceylon Teachers' Union (CTU) lodged a complaint with the Education Ministry Secretariat and the Examinations Commissioner General regarding the closure of the exam centre at Dharmapala Vidyalaya, Pannipitiya, on Wednesday (15), allegedly due to teachers not arriving at the school dressed in sarees.

CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin told the Daily Mirror that the centre, which was conducting the evaluation of the 2024 G.C.E. Advanced Level (A/L) Combined Mathematics papers and had delayed the issuing of results, was reportedly closed by the school's principal.

A petition regarding this matter, signed by 26 individuals, was sent to the Examinations Commissioner General on the same day. Stalin stated that legal action should be taken against the school principal for initially preventing teachers from entering the examination centres and for closing the centre, which caused delays in releasing the examination marks.

According to the petition, school security personnel prevented teachers from entering the examination centres for not wearing sarees, as instructed by the school principal.

Joseph Stalin said that it is uncomfortable and unfair to make it compulsory for teachers to evaluate examination papers from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. while wearing sarees, especially under the current inadequate facilities, even during school holidays.

He emphasised that it is not mandatory for teachers to wear sarees to school during holidays and that enforcing this requirement causes discomfort.

Therefore, Stalin has requested the Examinations Commissioner General and the Education Ministry Secretary to permit teachers to wear appropriate attire that maintains the school’s standards while allowing them to comfortably carry out the scrutiny of examination papers.

Stalin also mentioned that a similar incident was reported last week at a well-known boys' school in Kandy. However, the school principal later allowed the teachers to enter the examination centre to evaluate the examination papers.

Comments - 12

Reformist Friday, 17 January 2025 08:57 AM

While many people may not be fans of Teachers Union and Stalin, but I have to say I fully support their complain. These stupid rules in SL, like ladies to wear sarees etc are archaic and outdated. It is a blatant discrimination. A saree is not an easy thing to wear or even remove. It is a kind of torture for women. If you go any other decent country, you see women wearing various attire to work and they look beautiful. Why are then men wearing trousers which is a foreign dress. Why don't they wear a saron? Rules are only for women? This is not Afghanistan, is it? Stupidity gone mad. This country needs to be well cleaned - Clean SL has one more thing to do.

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Suhada malli Friday, 17 January 2025 10:37 AM

We must obey rules in place. Rules that are archaic should be contested and removed as a separate exercise. Otherwise discipline will be lost and we will have Bangladesh aragalaya type rowdies trying to do everything from managing traffic to marking papers. The teachers should have abstained or not accepted to choice to mark papers because they dont want to wear sarees. Then teachers who did wear sarees for many years to mark papers will end up achieving the objective (of marking papers) and on a later day they can work to change the rules.

8 4

Yohan Friday, 17 January 2025 08:57 AM

Sack the principal and send him home. He is not suitable to lead a school with poor third class mentality like this.

4 16

Nimal Friday, 17 January 2025 09:03 AM

This country is still living in stone ages. This principal obviously has not changed at all. What is wrong with women wearing an acceptable dress, but not a saree? What is so good about a saree to mark answer scripts? A country full of lunatics who obviously have seen very little or none at all, of the rest of the world. Interesting to see what the PM is going to say on this.

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Old student Friday, 17 January 2025 09:08 AM

VERY well done. Discipline starts from top. ( teachers)

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saliya Friday, 17 January 2025 09:25 AM

From when did SL become Afghanistan

5 15

Citizen Friday, 17 January 2025 09:33 AM

We are still in stone age, didn't you know that?? It is high time the school uniform for students, both male and female, changed as well!

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Ranga Friday, 17 January 2025 09:34 AM

Saree isn't even a Sri Lankan things it's an Indian dress we have adopted what a Shanme that leaders in SL blindly following someone elses dress code and making it as if it's ours

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Ramboda Friday, 17 January 2025 10:40 AM

Starlin is one of NGO man who does not care any other respects in the country . First of all starlin should be removed. Cognitionally developed society is respectin the principal .

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Rashmi Friday, 17 January 2025 10:58 AM

I can't understand the obsession with some segment of Sri Lankan employers, especially state sector, on wearing Sari, Osariya and Tie. Those should be only wear for special occasions not for daily work.

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martin Friday, 17 January 2025 11:05 AM

Saree must prevail. we must not give in to woke liberalism to dilute the attire in the name of simplicity.

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Eddy Friday, 17 January 2025 12:58 PM

Hats off Dharmapala Pannipitiya madam principal.

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