Kumar: Teachers should not pay for Ministry’s failures

Opposition MP Premila Kumar says teachers should not be left without salaries because of administrative failures within the Ministry of Education.

Her criticism follows salary payments being stopped after Pay 18 for some teachers after a Ministry audit reportedly found that some signed contracts had not been returned.

Ms Kumar questioned why teachers should bear the consequences if the problem was within the administrative process responsible for ensuring their contracts were properly returned and processed.

She said the Ministry had Heads of Schools and Divisional Heads across all four divisions and questioned why problems on such a scale were not identified and resolved earlier.

“Teachers should not become the scapegoats,” Ms Kumar said.

She said teachers and the public were tired of repeatedly hearing that teachers had not applied or that their contracts had not been signed or returned.

Ms Kumar acknowledged that teachers must comply with the Civil Service Code of Conduct and follow the proper administrative channels, but questioned what happened when those channels failed.

She said teachers who had submitted all the required documents should not be penalised if their paperwork remained unprocessed within the Ministry.

“Teachers should not have to chase the Government for money they have already earned.”

Ms Kumar said the latest issue was particularly concerning because it followed previous salary and allowance problems affecting teachers.

Only last month, Education Minister Aseri Radrodro announced that salary arrears for 318 Ministry of Education staff were being expedited through Pay 17 and Pay 18.

Ms Kumar said the Ministry itself had stated that those delays were associated with internal processing and compliance requirements.

She also highlighted teachers who graduated in 2024 and submitted applications for salary upgrades, along with their degrees and university letters confirming completion of their studies.

Mr Radrodro had confirmed that 273 teachers would be paid, subject to the availability of funds.

Ms Kumar also raised concerns about teachers taking extra classes because of teacher shortages while receiving little appreciation through location allowances or salary upgrade payments.

She said teachers holding acting positions were also still waiting for acting allowances.

The Fiji Teachers Association has previously raised concerns about salary and allowance delays affecting teachers, including those who were forced to buy goods on credit because they had not been paid by the Ministry for months.

Ms Kumar said teachers had even written to the Prime Minister’s Office seeking assistance.

She also questioned the response of Employment Minister Agni Deo Singh.

“And where is the Minister for Employment, Hon Agni Deo Singh, who has so often presented himself as the guardian and champion of workers’ rights? Where is he now?”

“I hope he is not busy travelling to Australia and New Zealand championing the interests of seasonal worker's while Fiji’s own teachers are struggling to receive their salaries and allowances.”

Ms Kumar said workers’ rights could not be selective and argued that Government-employed teachers should not be ignored.

She said portraying teachers as irresponsible for allegedly failing to submit documents, sign contracts or follow procedures could also affect public confidence in the profession.

Ms Kumar said responsibility ultimately rested with the Ministry and Government to ensure teachers were properly paid.

“If the Minister for Education cannot resolve something as fundamental as paying teachers correctly and on time, then the Prime Minister must ask whether the Minister for Education is capable of doing the job? If the answer is no, then he should be replaced.”