TSC, Education dept must buck up

Editorial, Normal
Source:

The National, Thursday 16th May 2013

 THE startling revelation this week that 7,000 teachers throughout the country have been suspended and are currently off the payroll is cause for concern, not only within the teaching profession but also within the affected schools and communities.

Even more alarming is the revelation that 50,000 school children throughout PNG are affected as a result of tea­chers not turning up for classes.

While these figures have yet to be confirmed by the Education Department and the Teaching Service Commission (TSC), the fact is an unnecessarily large number of teachers and their families – and a much greater number of school children – are affected and suffering as a consequence of bureaucratic bungling and sheer incompetence of national and provincial education authorities.

The Highlands regional branch of the PNG Teachers Association (PNGTA), which revealed the alarming statistics and dilemma facing their members, has threatened to take legal action against the TSC and the Education Department for their failure to address the suspension of the teachers.

John Melson, the regional secretary of the PNGTA Highlands branch, has put the blame squarely on the shoulders of government agencies for poor or no teachers’ data or monitoring system that contributed to their suspension.

He says the government agencies – TSC, Education Department, provincial education division and district education offices – have failed to keep a proper data of teachers’ postings and othe­r relevant information.

“Right now, we have 7,000 teachers in the country who are affected and I know that more than 50,000 children throughout the country are being affected as a result of teachers not turning up for classes,” Melson said in a statement on Tuesday.

We couldn’t agree more with his next statement.

“Before talking about qua­lity education in PNG, let the agencies be responsible with teachers’ data and provide correct information on tea­chers’ movements.”

Furthermore, Melson’s claim – that the TSC and Education Department have no legal right to suspend teachers until they are pro­perly charged under the set TSC disciplinary procedures and proven guilty – makes us wonder if the management of these two government agencies know or even care about the consequences of their actions or rather non-actions.

These bureaucrats should be reminded that the implementation of the O’Neill government’s free education policy has given prominence to the teaching profession in this country and the key role that teachers play in educa­ting our children. 

Simply put, free education means more children in schools and more teachers to teach them.

So what has actually gone wrong and who has messed up in this crucial year of im­­plementation of the government’s free education policy?

And why are 7,000 or so teachers suspended and put off the payroll through what is really no fault of theirs?

There is little or no doubt that this drastic decision by the TSC and Education Department to suspend an unusually large number of teachers and put them off the payroll, will only defeat the O’Neill government’s purpose of providing free education for our children.

As Melson stated, more than 50,000 school children are currently without tea­chers and their education is in total jeopardy.

Therefore, the onus is on the TSC and Education Department to take urgent measures to resolve the situation and the current dilemma facing the affected tea­chers and their students.

In the meantime, the PNGTA Highlands region branch is giving 30 days to the two agencies to rectify the pro­blems and restore the teachers who have been affected by the suspension exercise. 

The association will seek legal advice and possible legal action if nothing is done to resolve the matter.

Indeed, it would be wise of the two agencies, especially the Education Department, to take heed of the PNGTA and teachers’ concerns and make immediate amends.

Failure to do so will not only invite legal action by the PNGTA but also the wrath of O’Neill. 

We don’t have to remind education officials at Waigani about what happened to the last bureaucrat who failed to deliver on the government’s then newly in­tro­duced free education policy.

O’Neill is a leader who does not mince his words after he has made a firm commitment to deliver free education services and other key policy initiatives and programmes.