Provincial govts told to pay teachers’ leave fares on time to avoid problems

PAPUA New Guinea Teachers’ Association Highlands regional secretary John Melson is calling on provincial governments in the region to pay teachers’ leave fares on time for their travel.
Melson said that over the years, leave fares were not paid on time and cut by more than half on several occasions.
He said that due to those problems, teachers who lived in other province, due for leave did not
visit their families at their home provinces. Melson said this ongoing problem must not, repeated and should be avoided this
year.
“Leave fares are legal entitlements for the teachers after teaching in another province for two years,” he said. Melson said
teachers due for leave had filled
out their leave application forms and submitted them to respe-
ctive education offices for processing.
He urged authorities in the seven Highlands provinces to be more efficient with fares.
He said some teachers from Western Highlands, who were entitled for fares last year, finally received their money in September this year.