Enhancing the professionalism of the teaching service, addressing teacher shortages, strengthening human resources in higher education institutions, and finding solutions to structural issues in the education sector were focused on by the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education to build a quality education system.

The discussion took place when the committee met recently at Parliament under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.

Discussions were held during the meeting on improving the quality of school education, filling teacher vacancies, streamlining the teacher transfer process, and improving facilities required by schools in difficult and underserved areas.

Particular attention was given to expediting the new recruitment process to reduce teacher shortages, especially in the fields of Science and Mathematics, as well as identifying areas with teacher shortages and taking necessary action. The need to give special attention to schools facing teacher shortages, including those in the Northern and Eastern regions, was also highlighted.

Ensuring that the teacher transfer process is implemented transparently and in accordance with approved policies, as well as reviewing the system for providing hardship allowances and the criteria used to determine the level of difficulty associated with schools, was also discussed by the committee.

Attention was also focused on filling academic staff vacancies at universities, improving the efficiency of the National Institute of Education (NIE), and strengthening quality assurance processes in the education sector with regard to the higher education sector.

Views were also expressed on the need to resolve issues relating to school land and infrastructure, improve inclusive education facilities for children with special educational needs, and introduce necessary policy amendments in this regard.

Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Madhura Seneviratne, Deputy Minister of Vocational Education Nalin Hewage, along with other Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Members of Parliament, and officials of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, among others, participated in the occasion.