On the occasion of the World Teacher's Day on 5th October 2024, I would like to extend my heartfelt greetings to the Teacher Appreciation Ceremony organized by the South Asian Teacher Development Center with the theme "Valuing teachers voices :towards a new social contracts for education". It must be said that such work done in appreciation of the teacher who creates the future world is commendable and should be appreciated.
Teachers and principals are unique among the people who play a leading role in our journey for a rich country and a beautiful life. They are the creators who will give live contribution to create that future world. I feel that teachers and principals who are bequeathing a generation of students with knowledge, attitudes and skills to the future are not being amply evaluated. There is a need for a truly fulfilling teacher's role to carry out the mission of imparting culture to the Sri Lankan student community.
Looking back at the journey so far, it is no secret to us that nearly two hundred and fifty thousand teachers and principals worked under unsatisfactory conditions while performing their duties. Teachers and principals have been severely affected due to the pressure of education and lack of wages. Because of that, the number of people leaving the teaching service had increased and the number of talented newcomers entering the teaching service had also decreased rapidly. It is no secret that students and the entire education system are affected by such a collapse.
So building a satisfied teacher is our prime role. Going beyond the celebrations limited to a day, the greatest honor and tribute that can be given to the teacher is only by building the education system and producing a teaching professional rich in knowledge, attitude and skill and raising the living standard for the teacher to the top of the society. Therefore, as a country, as the Minister of Education and as the Prime Minister, I pledge to the Sri Lankan teachers and principals that we will do it with utmost dedication during our tenure.
