Pay hiccup may force teachers to close school

By MARJORIE FINKEO
TEACHERS at Eastern Primary School in Yangoru-Saussia, East Sepik, have sent their students home and plan to close the school because of their continuing pay problems.
Some of them have been without pay since August and others have had major deductions since April without a valid reason. Some have missed out on some pays altogether.
Head teacher Sheren Wangihau said the administration department sent the students home and early closure for the Christmas holidays was a likely option because teachers could not continue to work and live with just K70, K50 or K100 in their account.
Wangihau said the school administration would make a final decision to either continue or close it.
She said six teachers were facing problems with fortnightly deductions from pay number eight in April up until August.
Since, they were getting below K100 fortnightly.
Andrew Waraningi, one of the six teachers affected, said he did not get any explanation for the deductions.
He said he was not on pay for three months but because he was teaching Grade 8 students, he had to continue work.
Waraningi said his family had to sell flour balls (scones) at Yangoru Station, a few hours’ travel from his home, to survive.
The teachers’ salary office in Wewak is also not functioning. Wangihau urged provincial inspectors and explain their pay problems.