Principals unhappy
QUESTIONS raised by school heads about pay increments to teachers and the process used to identify new principals remained unanswered after a senior Education Ministry official said the queries could only be answered by the Human Resources Department.
School principals raised the issues during the Fiji Principals Association conference at the University of the South Pacific’s (USP) Japan-Pacific ICT Centre yesterday.
They asked the ministry’s team leader for the Fiji School Leaders Learning and Development Program, Mike Prime, when teachers were expected to receive increments, after the annual performance assessment and appraisal of teacher’s performance.
A school principal also asked how school heads could apply for leadership roles. He said there was confusion because the introduction of a new system required teachers to go through KESA –– Knowledge, Experience, Skills and Abilities –– sit for a job test and take an interview before being selected to head of school.
He said KESA was now being shelved and heads of schools were now expected to complete a module and job test for consideration as school head.
In response, Mr Prime said he could only respond to questions related to leadership, training and management.
Mr Prime said he could not answer any of the questions raised as they lay in the domain of the ministry’s HR team.
School principals at the conference expressed disappointed, claiming they had requested the presence of a representative from the ministry’s HR Department to be present at the forum.