Teachers leave over payments

 MANY schools in Eastern Highlands have teaching vacancies following the departure of a group of teachers, an official says.

Eastern Highlands teachers’ leave fares and repatriation complaints committee chairman Brenson Tomane yesterday claimed that teachers had left because of administrative blunders.

He said among the reasons for the teachers’ sudden exodus were the non and part payments of leave fares and the political infighting between two public servants over the provincial education adviser’s post.

Tomane told The National yesterday that the teachers had to move to other provinces because of the treatment they were getting from the provincial education authorities.

Tomane could not provide the exact number of teachers who had left but said he was getting reports from colleagues that teachers, mostly from other provinces, had left.

“Learning would be affected because there are a lot of vacancies,” Tomane said.

He said those teachers who had stayed back had resumed classes but had written to the Teaching Service Commission to nullify this year’s appointments and postings for the province and follow last year’s appointments.

He said the reason was there were two provincial education advisers – one was reinstated by the court and the other administratively appointed – confusing teachers about whether their postings were legitimate. 

Governor Julie Soso last week said she was looking forward to discussing the matter with Education Minister Nick Kuman to find a solution.