Leave fares concern

By ELIAS LARI
THE Papua New Guinea Teachers Association (PNGTA) says leave fare entitlements and teachers posting in Western Highlands will continue to become the union’s concern until the provincial education board (PEB) settles them.
PNGTA Western Highlands branch president John Yaga said these issues would not go unchallenged.
He said such issues would not become a problem if the correct processes and procedures were followed.
Yaga said elementary teachers were also affected through these postings and they were also part of the teaching body.
He said the PNGTA would be there for the teachers to ensure that their welfare was considered.
Yaga said more than 40 teachers had not received their leave fare entitlements as yet while 1,286 teachers were still misplaced.
“We learnt that some teachers transferred in from other centres and were given positions while serving officers were displaced,” he said.
“This is corruption.
“The leave fares issues are also causing many teachers to withdraw their services in the province.”
Yaga said teachers were agents of change and they were the key people in the country.
“The PNGTA Western Highlands branch will not end this fight because its sees that something is not right within the education system,” he said.
Yaga said the PEB should consider these two issues as important and address them immediately because the union office would join the PNGTA national body to seek legal actions if no actions were taken.
He said there was no improvement in Western Highlands when it comes to postings and leave fares.
“The PEB must consider both the quality and quantity in education and respect the teaching carrier,” he said.
“Why do we keep making them suffer and not realise their importance?”
Yaga urged the PEB to address these two issues before classes commenced.
He said the PNGTA office respected the PEB but when it comes to postings and leave fares it seems that continues mistakes were repeated.