Protesting teachers defeated - agree with the President to sit for the exam and end the hunger strike.

The hunger strike, which was carried out for nine days in front of the Presidential Secretariat by a group of development officers who had been teaching in the school system for about seven years, officially ended today (03). This decision was reached after a crucial discussion held this morning between representatives of the Sri Lanka School Development Officers' Association and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

According to the agreement reached, the development officers currently serving in schools have expressed their willingness to appear for the upcoming teacher service examination, and the President has promised to absorb the officers who appear for the examination into the teacher service within six months. The school development officers primarily demanded that they, who had been teaching for many years, be swiftly recruited into the teacher service.

Based on these demands, this group engaged in a hunger strike for the past few days, and due to the deteriorating health of six out of the seven members participating, they were hospitalized on several occasions. However, during the discussion with the President, it was decided to immediately halt the arbitrary institutionalization process of school development officers, thereby providing them with the opportunity to remain in the school system long-term without hindrance.

It is also reported that the President has agreed to formulate a proper methodology for incorporating officers who have served for seven years into the teacher service. Speaking to the media after the discussion, Mr. Viraj Manaranga, Secretary of the Sri Lanka School Development Officers' Association, stated that their association trusts the promises made, and if that trust is ever broken, they will not hesitate to resort to massive trade union action again.