64 teachers deregistered, but still in classrooms

Sixty-four teachers were deregistered by the Fiji Teachers Registration Authority (FTRA) after failing to renew their teaching licenses but continued teaching in classrooms, a Parliamentary committee has revealed.

The Standing Committee on Social Affairs tabled its consolidated review of the FTRA Annual Reports (2020-2023) in Parliament last week.

The report stated that despite being deregistered in April, these teachers remained in the education system without valid licenses.

“The committee noted that FTRA deregistered 64 teachers who were still teaching without renewing their teaching license,” the report said.

FTRA chief executive officer Sangeeta Singh told the committee during public hearings that deregistered teachers were sent notices along with their employers, primarily the Ministry of Education.

“They are slowly coming but unfortunately are still in the system. They are teaching without a valid licence,” Ms Singh said.

She explained that when deregistered teachers eventually seek re-registration, they must complete police and medical clearances again and are downgraded from full registration to provisional status

Legal penalties

The committee noted that under the FTRA Act, employers who employ unregistered teachers can face fines up to $150,000.

However, Ms Singh acknowledged the challenge of enforcement when the main employer is the Ministry of Education itself.

The report revealed registration numbers had decreased from 1,800 non-compliant teachers when Ms Singh was appointed to just 64, showing improvement in the renewal process.

The authority sends renewal notices as early as August for registrations expiring December 31, and follows up with emails and phone calls before deregistering teachers in April.

The committee recommended FTRA collaborate with the Ministry of Education to streamline the teacher license renewal process and introduce stricter guidelines ensuring timely registration.

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