Treat teachers fairly: Ro Teimumu to Govt

Opposition Leader Ro Teimumu Kepa has called on the Government to treat teachers fairly.

In response to the Attorney-General Aiyaz Saiyed-Khaiyum’s ministerial statement, Ro Teimumu said that minister emphasised the need to make high quality teaching a priority and tackle the challenges facing education.

Ro Teimumu said this meant a conducive teaching and learning environment was crucial to a good education.

“In this regard, teachers who are on the front line must be in a positive frame of mind to deal with the school environment,” Ro Teimumu said.

“This means teachers must be fairly treated.”

She said if teachers were given a contract, the contract must be honoured, if the contract was up for renewal and they fulfil the requirement, it must be renewed. However, she said teachers must not be left in the dark about delay in pay. “Be proactive. Get your act in order and when they are given a contract, please, please give them a fair wage.” Ro Teimumu said they understood the ministry had a new minister and a new permanent secretary who were new to the education system. “They must listen to the stakeholders, to the officials who have the qualification, experience and expertise,” Ro Teimumu said.

“They must listen, they might learn something.”

Ro Teimumu said when higher education was looked at this did not mean burdening young Fijians with student debt by forcing them into Tertiary Education Loan Scheme (TELS).

She said there must be a better way of providing tertiary education for them and this was an area that SODELPA would address in their manifesto.

In this regard, teachers who are on the front line must be in a positive frame of mind to deal with the school environment. Ro Teimumu Kepa Opposition Leader