EHP teachers face more woes

By JAMES KILA
MORE teachers are coming forward to complain about funds not being made available to have them sent home for Christmas.
Some teachers in Eastern Highlands told The National in Goroka yesterday that their leave entitlements were insufficient and did not cover their dependents, especially the spouses and children.
Others claimed that their destinations, initially submitted in the application, was not followed and their route of travel were changed.
A group of frustrated teachers fronted up yesterday to enquire for their leave fares at the Eastern Highlands provincial education office situated within Yanepa Government Office.
Most of the teachers who spoke out requested that their names not be published in fear of repercussions.
One of the teachers from Gulf province, who is currently teaching in a remote school in Eastern Highlands, said he had initially filled his application form stating that he would be travelling to Kerema. However, travel documents sent to him stated that he would be travelling to Mendi in Southern Highlands province.
“I’ve absolutely no idea how they decided to change my travel to Southern Highlands,” he complained.
The teachers said Eastern Highlands provincial education officials told them that only K900,000 was allocated for leave fare entitlements for teachers in the province.
They said a portion of the funding would come from the Eastern Highlands provincial government, however, so far it had not eventuated.
The teachers also claimed irregularities in their allocation of leave entitlement stating that some of the teachers from the province were issued tickets to travel to Port Moresby.
The teachers also claimed that the provincial education office did not have an up-to-date biodata of all the teachers in the province. Such problem is causing teachers to be paid less in their leave fare entitlements.
Attempts by The National to reach the Eastern Highlands education adviser Conrad Esoke for comments were in vain.