Teachers’ resumption forms still processing

THE education division in Eastern Highlands is still processing the resumption of duty forms of some teachers in remote schools because they arrived late, an official says.
Provincial education adviser Thomas Jonduo said 782 teachers in the province were among the 11,011 teachers around the country who were not paid last fortnight.
“Most teachers in flying zones (remote areas only accessible by air) in parts of Obura-Wonenara, Okapa and Lufa districts had their forms arriving late,” he said.
“But we are still doing inputs for them. By pay 9 and 10, all of them will be on the payroll.”
Jonduo said of the 3993 teachers in the province, 782 were put off the payroll on March 27.
“But they are ratifying the problem. We are now left with only 400 still off the payroll,” he said.
Jonduo was told that some teachers had failed to will in the form correctly. He said the process of filling in the forms was “normal every year”.
“The provincial education board appoints teachers to schools,” he said.
“The teacher fills out the form including the position he or she is appointed to.
“The head teachers sign the forms before they are delivered to the district education advisers and standard officers to verify and approve before coming to the provincial headquarters.
“I sign the forms and (the information) input into the salary section which puts teachers on the payroll.”
The forms are then sent to the salary section in Waigani.
“If there are any discrepancies, they advise the provinces to correct the mistakes. This is the process we follow every year. Some affected are teachers being transferred into the province from another province, and new graduates,” he said.