Understand TSC’s role

THE Teaching Service Commission (TSC) does not process teachers’ payroll.
IT is not administratively responsible for putting teachers on payroll by processing teachers’ resumption forms and teacher record of appointment forms.
The Education Department, through its salaries division and the provincial governments through their salaries officers, are administratively responsible for paying teachers nationwide.
These officers are not staff of the Teaching Service Commission.
In the event that they become negligent in performing their duties and responsibilities, TSC cannot take disciplinary actions against the officers since these payroll officers do not report to TSC.
They only report to their provincial education advisers and the Education secretary in the case of those salaries officers who are based in Waigani.
Teachers need to understand that the commission only issues letters and minutes to the payroll officers in the provinces and at the headquarters, authorising them to process salaries and allowances for the serving teachers.
TSC commissioners and their staff are not duty bound to follow up on the minutes and letters issued to the payroll officers, it is the responsibility of the Education Department hierarchy and the provincial education divisions to ensure that their payroll officers are performing their responsibilities.
In the case of new graduates who are serving in the teaching service, TSC has no part to play for the teacher to be placed on payroll.
When a person graduates from a teacher’s college or a university, a list of all graduate teachers are submitted to the Education Department’s teacher education division for the new commencements to be issued provisional teacher registration certificates by the Education secretary.
When a provisional teacher registration is issued and together with resumption forms and teacher record of appointment forms coming from the provinces, the payroll division then creates files for the new teachers for file numbers to be issued.
When this is completed, the new graduates are then placed on payroll by the salaries officers.
The TSC is currently reviewing its governing legislation to take on the responsibility of processing salaries/allowances for teachers.
Once the legislation is amended by Parliament, TSC will take over the entire payroll function.

Joel Nava,
Acting Commissioner – Policy,
Teaching Service Commission