Consider employment conditions, teacher says

 TEACHERS are at the bottom rung of the public service in terms of pay and employment conditions, a primary school teacher in Morobe claims.

The teacher was responding to a front page story in this newspaper yesterday that carried a warning from the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) to public school teachers to stop skipping class.   

“It is all good for the TSC to come out and warn us but have they considered the conditions we struggle under while educating this nation?” the Buimo Road Primary School teacher, who declined to be named, said.

“Unlike the disciplined forces who are issued uniforms, vehicles and good secure homes to live in, we are paid a lousy salary with a pitiful K6 and K7 housing allowance and left to our own devices.

“Yet much is expected of us because we are the foundation of this nation.”

The teacher said apart from the head teacher, everyone else in town schools had to find their own accommodation and ended up in settlements.

“I gross K600 a fortnight and pay a rent of K120 for a tiny two bedroom house in Kamkumung settlement that has no water and electricity.

“On top of everything else, we have to put up with the lawlessness in the settlement and the number of drunks and drug addicts harassing our families.

“The bulk of us struggle against all odds to attend class and educate this nation yeari n and year out.”