President issues ultimatum - Will not allow education to be held hostage

President issues ultimatum - Will not allow education to be held hostage

President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that examinations will be made an essential service under emergency law, unless teachers return to paper-marking by next week. He made these comments, addressing a progress review meeting of the Education Ministry, where he discussed the issue of teachers withdrawing from evaluating examination answer scripts.

"All those who marked the papers last time, must be available for service now. If not I will prosecute them and take their property off,” he said.

"No one will be allowed to hold the education of children hostage," he added.