Getting a job in the government sector based on merit has always been difficult as it involves favoritism and other related preferences over genuine qualifications. Recruitment of teachers to government schools is one such area with a shady recruitment process.
In 2017, a gazette notification was issued advertising vacancies for school teachers and a large number of prospective candidates applied for the positions. A qualification examination was announced and when the results were released it was found that all those who sat the exam in English medium had passed and none of the others had passed to receive posts. The candidates who sat the exam in the Sinhala language felt that they were not given equal opportunity.
The only resort to those have been wronged this way is the Right to Information Act No. 12 of 2016. The discriminated candidates feel empowered being able to question and seek information regarding the recruitment process from the respective institutions. An RTI application was filed with regard to this in December 2018.
Few youths from Galle who attended a training workshop on RTI conducted by SLPI which was financially supported by the USAID-SDGAP programme said that they feared questioning government officials on this issue as they were worried about the repercussions.
It is the intention of the youth to educate others on Right to Information as the Act can help them seek answers for many issues.
This update was prepared by participants of the Information and Communication Training Workshop conducted by the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) through a grant funded by the United States Agency for International Development through the Strengthening Democratic Governance and Accountability Project Activity.
“The contents of this post are the sole responsibility of SLPI and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.”
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