Bimal Responds to Development Officers on Hunger Strike
Bimal Ratnayake has emphasized that no political interference will be allowed in any future government recruitment, and that all appointments will be carried out through a fully transparent process.
Clarifying the government’s position on the issues raised by School Development Officers, he stated that under the current government, every recruitment will take place strictly within a legal framework.
He pointed out that under the Teachers’ Service Constitution, teachers can be recruited only through a competitive examination. Just as a Z-score is required for university admission, candidates must also fulfil prescribed qualifications to enter the teaching service, and he stressed that the government has no intention of changing this law.
Bimal Ratnayake strongly criticized past appointment practices, stating that some ministers had issued teaching appointments even from hotel rooms, and that during the period of governance under the father of the current Opposition Leader, appointments were made without considering any qualifications.
He noted that teachers who received appointments through such irregular and unlawful procedures continue to suffer from various professional problems to this day. He further remarked that had there been a Rajapaksa or Sajith Premadasa-led government, there could by now have been severe political reprisals.
Commenting on the Development Officers who are currently on a hunger strike, he said that the Prime Minister has already held several rounds of discussions on the matter.
Some officers have stated that if no solution is provided, they are prepared to sit for the prescribed examination, and he said this was the correct and appropriate approach. He further stressed that the current government has not made any political appointments, nor has it appointed friends or loyalists to public positions.