Teachers’ issues still not addressed

THE issue of teachers waiting for their diploma and provisional certificate has been making headlines in the media since January but it is yet to be addressed.
Those who graduated in 2019 and last year from Balob Teachers College were not given teaching positions in schools because the requirement from the Morobe education board is that all teachers are to present their diploma and provisional certificate in order to be given positions.
The delay is caused by a so-called vetting process by the Education secretary’s office which never seemed to last.
Almost all schools in Morobe are facing shortage of teachers.
Rumour has it that a few of these teachers have entered the college through illegal means that is why a vetting process has been conducted.
This doesn’t give the secretary the right to hold back the diploma and provisional certificates.
Their diploma is their legal right certifying that they have gone through three years of training and that qualifies them to enter the field.
It is unfair for the majority who have gone through all the requirements to successfully and transparently complete their three years of study and are still waiting.
The best thing to do is for the secretary is to issue these teachers with their diplomas and certificates and allow them to teach.
Do not register them as yet but run inspections on them.

Yabem Mahn,
Tsirah Alkoh