PNG will continue to face teacher shortage

Despite the increase in teacher numbers, the country will continue to face teacher shortage, says the Teacher Service Commission.

According to TSC chairman Baran Sori, this is because approved teacher training institutions are not graduating enough teachers to be allocated to all the schools in the country.

“Similarly, some teachers retire while others resigned and abscond from teaching.

“The Commission also noted that there are teachers who choose to make themselves become unemployed because they do not want to take up teaching in rural/remote schools, while others just do not want to leave their home provinces to go and teach in other provinces that need teachers most.”

However, he says the number of teachers is expected to reach 60,000 members this year.

“This makes Teaching Service the single largest public sector workforce in the country. The number of teachers will continue to grow annually to cater for the increase number of students as a result of about 3 percent PNG’s population growth rate per annum.”

Meanwhile, Sori extends a warm welcome to teachers.

“Teaching Service Commission welcomes teachers throughout the country back to teaching in 2017 school year and extends its welcome to the new graduates joining the Teaching Service workforce this year.”

(Picture: www.vsointernational.org)

Author: 
Press release