Meet discusses teachers’ loans

National

Education Department and Teaching Service Commission (TSC) have met and discussed ways to uplift the ban currently in place stopping teachers obtaining loans from financial companies.
TSC chairman Baran Sori said they met on Tuesday and discussed ways in which they could uplift the ban, taking into consideration past experiences.
“We are discussing it seriously to ensure we don’t repeat issues like over-deduction, people taking loans from other peoples’ names and unnecessary pay cuts,” he said.
“We will be having further discussions with registered financial companies to explore ways to allow teachers to take up new loans.
“That does not apply or affect teachers that already took loans.
“This is for those that are new and are in need for loans for purposes of school fees, travel and other personal needs.”
Sori was responding to concerns raised by teachers in need of loans for school fee and others.
The decision to stop obtaining loans was made by Education Secretary Dr Uke Kombra after issues of teachers’ pay cuts were found to be related to various loans they took.
There is currently an investigation continuing into various aspects of issues faced by teachers for the loans they got or somebody got under their names.
A total of 493 teachers were affected with pay deduction since August because they were repaying loans they got, or somebody else got under their personal details.
Those deductions were put against the names of the teachers and connected to loans with finance companies including Teachers’ Savings and Loans, Fincorp, Moni Plus and so forth.
The teachers received the pay deductions in pays 18, 19 and 20 of the pay period.
“The deductions ranged from K10 up to K400,” Sori said.
“Most of these teachers are from the remote areas and do not have access to some of the finance companies named.
“They were surprise to know their pay was being deducted because of the loans they got.”