Teachers’ Union Accuses Government of Failing to Meet Students’ Basic Needs

04-Apr-2026

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Joseph Stalin, General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Teachers’ Union, stated that the government has failed to provide essential facilities to school students during the current severe heatwave.

Many schools, including prominent institutions such as Kottawa Dharmapala Vidyalaya, face acute drinking water shortages, affecting over 4,000 students for the past three days. Students are being asked to bring water from home, and even school toilets lack water, creating a critical situation.

While the Ministry of Education releases circulars on student health, no practical measures have been taken to provide water and sanitation. The government should provide at least bottled water immediately.

Additionally, arbitrary teacher transfers are occurring without proper procedures. In Northern Province alone, 193 teachers were transferred without board approval, violating the 2007 National Transfer Policy.

National schools have also seen irregular transfers, and the Ministry remains silent, despite complaints already lodged with the Human Rights Commission. Immediate corrective action is necessary.