Teachers

Teachers frustrated with leave entitlement process

Prior to that, they have been traveling back and forth since last week to check on the status of their entitlements.

Teachers from as far as the remote districts of Menyamya, Finschhafen and Nawaeb have been constantly checking up on their leave entitlements. And with just a few days before Christmas, they have been forced to brave the heat to collect their fares.

The deputy head teacher of Huonville Primary School in Lae, Salome Sangi, is hoping to be in East Sepik by Christmas but her hope has dwindled as the day progresses.

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No pay cuts this fortnight: Education Secretary

Dr Kombra said the implementation of the 2019 Consumer Price Index (CPI) for teachers ceased on pay number 14.

“The 2019 back pay, which consisted of two fortnights’ back pay was spread over 12 fortnights starting on pay number 2 this year,” he said in a statement.

In April this year, a media statement was released by Education Minister, Joseph Yopyyopy, to clarify a lot of queries that were raised around teachers’ salary suspension and salary cuts.

Powers delegated to Oro education division

The signing was between the Teaching Service Commission and the Oro Provincial Government.

TSC acting Commissioner, Samson Wangihomie, said the idea is to take the service to where its recipients are, hence the delegation of powers.

Teachers in Northern no longer need to waste resources to go to Waigani as the powers delegated to Oro include payroll, vacation, compassionate and sick leave, health of member and leave without pay for up to two years. The Oro Education Division has been delegated powers under the Teaching Service Act Part VIII.

Degree program for teachers colleges

The Holy Trinity Teachers College (HTTC) in Mt Hagen was the first to take on board the bachelor in education in primary teaching in 2014.

This will give teachers an opportunity to apply for the degree program at colleges in the respective provinces.

Representatives from four teacher colleges in the Highlands – Enga, Nipa (in Southern Highlands), Nazarene (in Jiwaka) and Chimbu – attended a one-day meeting last month (August 23) with the management of the Holy Trinity Teachers College to share ideas, views and experiences on how to introduce the degree program next year.

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A calling back to the provinces

Many of these 2018 graduates have since returned to their home villages to fill the critical shortage of teachers in remote areas.

“Most teachers don’t like to go to the rural remote schools in New Ireland Province,” recent graduate Nelly Barry said. “So after completing my studies here I will go and teach there.”

Fellow student Molly Maim agreed that a lack of teachers was the the biggest challenge to education in his village in Western Province. “Teachers don’t go back to the villages.”

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Teachers to access payslips online

Minister for Education, Joseph Yopyyopy, has recently launched the new application called “MyPAYSLIP”.

The launching of the web application took place at the PNG Education Institute Hall in the National Capital District.

When launching the web application, Education Minister Yopyyopy said the Department of Education in collaboration with the Finance Department has improved access to payslips for teachers and education officers with the development of a web based application to produce teachers and education public servants’ payslips.

Teachers reminded on code of ethics

Kambaki stated this following the induction of 24 professional stage primary school teachers who passed out in 2018.

She said the teaching profession deals with the first stages of a child’s life and it is important that teachers are well aware of their code of ethics and professionalism.

The 24 yet-to-register teachers were taken through the importance of being in a position of trust.

Kambaki said one major concern is teacher-student affairs.

Call for probe into teachers’ fares

Locke teachers deserve respect and must be compensated well with all their entitlements, including disadvantage, multiple class, boarding and housing allowances.

Being a former teacher, Locke said the decision made by Madang teachers not to resume classes at the start of this school year must not be taken lightly by the Provincial Administration.

“This is a chronic problem faced by teachers every year in Madang. Such issues are a result of poor financial management and incompetency.”

Teachers’ NID registration underway

Registration for teachers in NCD begun on December 24, 2018, and will end at the end of March.

The exercise is underway at the Papua New Guinea Education Institute (PNGEI) Hall.

Teachers in the Central Province who are on holidays in the NCD are now asked to make their way to the PNGEI Hall to start registering. The rollout to the rest of the country is expected in the coming weeks as the preparations are in progress to send the mobile registration teams out.

Teachers threaten to boycott academic year

Over 300 teachers have threatened to boycott the 2019 academic year over their 2018 leave entitlements.

The frustrated teachers say they have faced leave fare entitlement issues every year, and are now making a stand.

A spokesman from the group told this newsroom up to 2,500 students in the province may be affected from over 900 schools.

The spokesman said only 100 teachers have received their leave entitlements while over 300 are yet to get theirs.