TSC taken to task over ‘foul-play’ over salaries

An elementary school teacher in Southern Highlands province has called on the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) and Department of Education (DoE) to discipline incompetent and non-performing officers within their organisations.

Alex Tui of Hos Elementary School outside the provincial capital Mendi, complained bitterly that many teachers PNG-wide “are really suffering” because certain officers in TSC and DoE, both in head office and provinces were failing to perform their duties professionally and responsibly as expected.

Tui urged TSC Chairman Baran Sori and Acting Secretary for Education, Dr Uke Kombra to start disciplining all responsible officers who failed to submit vital information to the salaries section thereby causing salary discrepancies and anomalies.

His call is out of frustration for not being paid his full fortnightly pay since 2010 claiming foul-play in the salaries section of the DoE.

Tui, file number 10164153 was recommended by his elementary school trainer and inspector as “highly committed and 100 percent progress rate”, but is still paid on the same rate as he started with in 2005.

He explained that in 2010 there was a salary increase for elementary school teachers from K270 to K550 per fortnight, but since then he has not seen any increase in his pay packet.

“I’ve been following up on my case for the past six year, but I’ve been hitting brick wall and not been getting anywhere,” Tui complained.

He is from the 2005 intake of elementary teachers and claims to has spent more than K2,000 to get his pay adjusted and increased like any current serving elementary teacher in the country.

“Mine is a genuine case and I pray that responsible officers in the DOE will attend to my six-year struggle to be justly paid of my humble service to the state.

“Responsible officers are duty bound to be act responsibly and in professional manner, especially when dealing with teachers’ wages and entitlements.

“More importantly, they are morally obliged to ensure simple teachers like me are not unnecessary deprived of what is right and legally ours,” Tui stressed.

Picture: Alex Tui - pointing to his name on the list of results of summary and progression level of elementary teachers in SHP.

Author: 
Henzy Yakam