Dear Editor,
I am using this medium today to ask the Ministry of Education, especially the Assistant Chief Education Officer for Secondary Schools Ms Melcita Bovell and the Minister of Education when teachers who gave of their time, effort and labour during the past August summer vacation for six weeks in a national Maths and English remedial programme will be paid? I tried calling Ms Bovell who is always in a meeting or never in office.
This is indeed so embarrassing that everywhere you turn, whether it is meeting a colleague on the street or at a function, you hear things like, “When will we be paid for conducting that remedial programme?” and just having hearsay responses or answers for them. The word is that teachers both in the primary and secondary schools who conducted this programme would not be paid until next year.
Teachers in this country are living from paycheck to paycheck. What they need is more money in their pockets, and not loans to build homes. I hope the teachers’ union is taking note, as we also await word on the new salary and benefits deal inked with the Ministry of Education. Taxation is killing teachers. Whenever they do get the remedial programme money owed to them, I am sure it will be heavily taxed.
The Ministry of Educa-tion is always on our backs to plan, plan, plan. It is ironic now that the tables have turned and that they did not plan properly because up to this point, some two months after the programme has been completed, not one single teacher has been paid.
Further to this, teachers who graduated in June at NCERD and who would have completed the Distance Education Non-Graduate English and Math courses still have not received their incremental increase in pay, as was promised by the ministry prior to and during the programme.
This is another example of poor planning which does not reflect well on the ministry.
Teachers, the moulders of the nation, are beggars in this place. How long will we beg, teachers, how long?
Yours faithfully,
Leon J. Suseran
