College puts registration on hold until certificates issued

By GLORIA BAUAI
BALOB Teachers College is holding off its 2021 registration until students who graduated last year receive their diploma and teacher registration certificates.
Principal Jerry Hendigao said this after a peaceful protest yesterday by former students that had graduate in 2019 and last year.
The group showed up at the school calling for their diplomas and registration certificates so they could apply for jobs.
Spokesman Langton Runt told Hendigao that resumption of 2021 classes would only frustrate them.
“Let us all be patient and wait for those at Education (department) to come down and address us properly,” he said.
Hendigao told the group that the delay was due to the new longer vetting process in place to ensure the quality of teachers.
He said it came to the attention of the Education Department that, in 2019, some names on certificates did not match the list provided by the teaching colleges.
“Some entered colleges using scanned certificates, forged their transcripts and signatures and colleges even graduated students that were not legally recognised,” he said.
“Because of the Government’s agenda for quality education through quality teachers, we now have a longer vetting (process).”
Hendigao said for the case of 2020 graduates, the special imported papers used to print their certificates were delayed due to financing.
“All of these are now undergoing quality checks and will be released,” he said.
“But I won’t start 2021 until I get a definite answer from the Education Department for you.”
Balob deputy principal administration Jack Hawap said the delay in this process was adding to the shortage of teachers in the country.
“This is a big issue with all schools in the country now and children are missing out,” he said.
Balob called on the Teaching Service Commission to help them push this agenda with the Education Department.