Ministerial committee on recruiting development officers into teaching service

The Government of Sri Lanka has decided to appoint a ministerial committee led by Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya to provide sustainable solutions to the issues pertaining to the recruitment of school development officers for the teaching service.

The Cabinet Spokesman, Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa communicated this during the Cabinet press briefing held today (03). 

Currently, more than 15,800 development officers are engaged in teaching in both national and provincial schools. 

Accordingly, a ministerial committee chaired by the Prime Minister will be appointed to identify various problems that have arisen in relation to the performance of the development officers as well as the administrative work, analyze the problems and propose sustainable solutions for them.

Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa further stated that the Cabinet approval was granted for the proposal presented by the Prime Minister to appoint a ministerial committee consisting of ministers/deputy ministers and to appoint a committee of officials chaired by the Prime Minister’s Secretary to assist the said committee.

Between 1994 and 2020, more than 150,000 graduates were employed under the central government and provincial councils including development officers, who were recruited into government service through various schemes on seven separate occasions.

However, it has been pointed out during the Cabinet meeting that these recruitment processes were carried out without properly evaluating the skills and professional qualifications of development officers and officers working in related service categories.

Furthermore, it has been discussed that the lack of proper induction, in-service training, and clear assignment of duties has hindered the ability of these officers to meet the expected performance standards.

The committees to be appointed for the purpose are as follows;

Committee of Ministers: 

* Prime Minister - (Chairperson). 
* Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government
* Deputy Minister of Economic Development
 * Deputy of Education, Higher Education
 * Deputy Minister of Vocational Education

Committee of officials:

* Secretary to the Prime Minister- (Chairman)
 * Secretary, Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government
* Secretary, Ministry of Education, Higher education and Vocational education
 * Secretary, Finance Commission
* Director General of the National Budget
* Director General of Institutions 
* Director General Department of Management Services
* Director General of Integrated Services