Open Merit System For Equal Opportunity: Education Minister

The Open Merit Recruitment System gives equal opportunity for women teachers to apply for leadership posts.

This reassurance came from the Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts Premila Kumar while addressing 200 women, leaders and teachers during the Women in Education Leadership Empowerment forum at the Civic Centre in Labasa.

“Consider yourselves as equals and capable, then and then only you will apply for positions in leadership,” she said.

Teacher’s pay

Ms Kumar also clarified that teachers’ salaries were not deducted.

“Prior to 2019, you were receiving all the allowances, rural allowance, long service allowance and all the allowances in place, but then early 2020 we had a pandemic that had a huge impact on our economy,” Ms Kumar said.

However she explained that due to the pandemic and its huge impact on the economy and the mini budget, there were a number of things that were taken off.

“To maintain your salary and to keep paying you, we had to take off all these allowances,” she said.

Praise from Dr Ali

Women in Business President Dr Nur Bano Ali praised the Ministry of Education for setting a platform for women teachers in leadership in the hope to break the bias against women empowerment.

“This is the first time the Ministry of Education has done this for women teachers,” Dr Ali said.