The Ministry of Education has issued a circular to all teachers in the country that all fully‑certified teachers, those with at least a diploma in education/teaching who have met the required performance assessments, are currently being offered five‑year extensions to their contracts.
Fijivillage has obtained the circular issued by the Permanent Secretary for Education Alison Burchell, also states that contracts for teachers without a formal diploma or degree in education/teaching will still be renewed and the Ministry will support these teachers to ensure they have the opportunity to obtain the required formal qualifications.
Burchell says this is consistent with the Ministry’s mission to help teachers to up skill to meet any demands that new, higher‑paying positions may require.
The circular states that other initiatives, from scholarships to training modules and adult education programmes, will be rolled out in the months ahead for those teachers that wish to participate.
Burchell says to help modernise our schools and uplift Fijian students, English literacy is fundamentally important. She says as they transform the Ministry, they are here to help teachers perform at the highest possible level and be compensated with a salary that reflects that performance.
She says any head of school who wishes to obtain the necessary skills for a higher‑paying position in relation to the English proficiency assessment will have the opportunity to participate in Ministry‑provided training.
The Permanent Secretary says this is consistent with the long‑stated stance of the Attorney‑General and Minister responsible for Education, who, in late 2017, made it clear that these are not “tests,” and this is not a matter of “passing” or “failing”.
She says the purpose of these assessments is to assist teachers to identify areas to focus their time and energy.
On salaries, the Ministry of Education says it is proactively auditing all teachers’ contracts to ensure that teachers are not being underpaid.
The Ministry says through this process, they have uncovered contracts for those teachers who were hired from 2012 to 2017 who should have received higher salaries, and they are taking steps to correct this by making appropriate back payments.
The circular says each contract is being carefully and individually audited, and the Ministry will notify any affected teacher. It says no action is required by teachers but any teacher who thinks he or she is affected should contact the Ministry.
The Ministry of Education also says that it is wholly dedicated to creating a working environment that is fairer and more transparent for all of Fiji’s teachers.
Meanwhile the Ministry says in transitioning to a contract process for exam markers, a number of markers in a number of subjects at Year 12 and 13 were unintentionally receiving smaller payments than in 2017.
Burchell says immediate corrective action has been taken, and all affected markers will be informed of the details this week.
The circular says further, in recognition of markers’ hard work to get exam results out to students on time, with the correction the Ministry has increased the payment per script marked across all subjects and years in 2018 from the rates received in 2017 and a more formal review of compensation for exam markers will be undertaken in early 2019 to ensure that markers are being remunerated at the rate they deserve.
