Teachers in Eastern Highlands continue to get pay cuts: Jonduo

By CATHY AKORI
Teachers in Eastern Highlands will continue to face pay cuts and delayed leave fares next year because the budget for next year has not been met.
Eastern Highlands’ education director Thomas Jonduo raised this issue during an education advisors’ and administrators’ workshop in Central last week.
Jonduo told Teaching Services Commission(TSC) and the Education Department that the budget estimate for next year for education in Eastern Highlands was K175 million, but the province was allocated only K108 million.
He said for this year, the budget was K93 million, but the province received only K85 million.
This led to so many teachers facing pay cuts and missing out on salaries and leave fares.
“I will be facing the same problem I faced this year because I am down by so many millions,” Jonduo said.
“I don’t know whether the fault is with the Education Department or the Treasury.”
TSC chairman Baran Sori told the advisers and directors that it was their responsibility to talk with their provincial treasury and settle the payments, and not always call the TSC and Education Department.
He said more than K29 million for teachers’ leave fares had been already approved and released by the National Executive Council (NEC) in September this year, and should be with provincial treasuries by now.
“It is your responsibility as education advisers to negotiate with the treasury and get the payments done,” Sori said.