TSC warns against bribes

By YVONNE KAMBIBEL
THE Teaching Service Commission has advised teachers to follow proper processes in lodging their complaints and to never bribe officials for favours.
Teaching Service Commission Chairman Samson Wangihomie reminded teachers that bribery was corruption, according to Section 12 of the Teaching Service Act.
“I am not happy with recent reports of bribery involving teachers,” he said. He was referring to a report last week that some teachers who came to the education department headquarters in Port Moresby to sort out salary and allowance problems had to pay some money to certain officials at Fincorp Haus to attend to their queries.
He told The National that the commission and the Education Department would find out who the officials were.
Wangihomie agreed with Education Minister Jimmy Uguro that disciplinary action be taken on teachers involved in illegal acts.
“The long waits are frustrating we understand. But that should not be an excuse for teachers to resort to bribery,” he said.
A teacher who came to Port Moresby to sort out a problem about his entitlement claimed that officials demanded between K300 and K1,000 to fix their problems quicker.
Wangihomie also reminded the teachers to take their grievances up with the commission first before going to the media.
Policy commissioner Joel Nava said teachers should inform the commission about their queries as it was the right thing to do.
“Going to the media with a blanket address was not professional by the teachers,” he added.
“For us to help them, we need to first understand the types of queries each of them has so we can advise them the next right step to take.”