Transparent reps needed for teachers

By LORRAINE JIMAL
Appropriate and fit teachers’ representatives should be appointed to all provincial education boards (PEBs) to improve teachers’ leave fares, appointments and inspection issues, an official says.
Papua New Guinea Teacher’s (PNGTA) general-secretary David Numbaming said the representatives must be those who could address teachers’ issues fairly and transparently.
“To minimise these issues, fit teachers’ representatives must be on all PEBs and they must not fear or favour any teacher,” he said.
Numbaming challenged PEB chairpersons around the country to see that PNGTA representatives to PEBs were legal and mandated.
He said for some time now there were issues of leave fares, appointments and inspections facing teachers around the country.
He said all PEBs must follow standard procedures in resolving teachers’ issues.
“The education advisers and PEB chairpersons are well-versed on the correct procedures, laws, policies and rules so teachers must not face problems with leave fares and appointments,” he said.
Numbaming said the issues were unsolved because PEBs were not abiding by the rules.
He also emphasised that much of the powers for many provinces had been decentralised to the PEBs with only a few with the National Education Board.