B’ville teachers still on payroll

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Wednesday 27th March, 2013

THE Autonomous Bougainville Government’s education division is working hard to ensure none of their teachers will be put off the
payroll for failing to submit their resumption forms.
Education chief executive officer Bruno Babato said yesterday that according to the education department, teachers nationwide who had not submitted their resumption forms by April 5 would be put off the payroll.
He said in Bougainville, at least 939 teachers were likely to be suspended but the
education office had been working closely with them to identify
issues that were hindering them from submitting their forms on
time.
Babato said some issues that were beyond teacher’s control include appointment of positions made by
the Bougainville education board last December for this year
under which some teachers were refusing positions while others were appointing themselves.
“Some mission agencies are posting changes without consulting the appointment committee so when those teachers send us resumption forms, we find out
that they are not on
the official listing,” he said.
Babato said issues which teachers had control over were lack of accommodation at schools, law and order problems, and poor road conditions in the sense that they had resumed but could not get forms in on time.
He said this concerned schools in the region’s atolls.
Babato added that they had managed to rectify forms for 837 teachers who were now in the “safe zone”.
He said there was now an outstanding
of 102 teachers and
the break-up included
65 who had transferred to other provinces, two on leave and nine on leave without pay.
He said this group would definitely be placed off the payroll.
Babato was adamant that come April 5, no teachers in the region would be put off the payroll.
He said according to a report from Teachers Services Commission, about K6 million had been spent on teachers’ salaries in the last two pay days.