Justine Ferrari, Education writer | February 05, 2008 (http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23161015-13881,00.
Notice of Public Meeting on Recommendations for a New Education Act February 18, Monday, 2008, 3p – 5p Sri Lanka Foundation Institute Sri Lanka Education Forum has been hosting a series of meetings to identify areas of agreement among civil society organizations regarding recommendations for a New Education Act to the Ministry of Education’s Committee to Draft a New Education Act. The final meeting in the series is to be held on February 18, 2008, Monday, 3pm to 5pm at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute. The Education Forum is a group of professional, academic, corporate and civil society individuals and organizations representing teachers, principals, past pupils, educationists, entrepreneurs and well-wishers in education. The participants are bound by their common desire to develop, support and sustain a system of education that contributes to cultural, social and economic growth while ensuring freedom of choice and equality of opportunity to all. Sujata N Gamage PhD MPA Coordinator Education Forum V 011-4979795 0r 0770774-8470 F 011-277-5212 E sujatagamage@yahoo.
The Education forum has conducted 3 study sessions so far with a good cross section of persons representing Associations of teachers, principals, and past pupils and  educationists and well wishers. Compilation of past legislations, circulars and Policy papers are now complete. Paper copies of these can be obtained for the cost of photocopying from Ms. Inoka Udayanganie at Sri Lanka Foundation Institute. Compilation of proposals from various groups into one document is in progress.
In Sri Lanka, as in many others countries with a centralized teacher service, there is a problem of getting teachers to locate In poor rural (and estate) areas, when they can tap patronage systems to obtain transfers to more popular areas. Various incentives schemes have been tried, in a number of countries including Sri Lanka, but with limited success. An alternative, to address the problem of staffing poor rural and estate schools, would be to appoint teachers directly to schools, perhaps combined with an extra financial allowance as an incentive. Then, if teachers wanted to move to new schools, they would need to resign from their present appointments and seek a fresh appointment in another school, rather than seek a transfer. Here are some examples of countries that recruit teachers: (a) directly to schools; (b) to local administrations; and (c) central or intermediate levels.