TSC now reaching provinces: Kuman

Education Minister Nick Kuman speaking in parliament.

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, November 6, 2016 (PNG)

MINISTER for Education Nick Kuman informed parliament on Friday that the Teaching Services Commission was now decentralizing its functions and offices into the provinces to alleviate the much talked about burden of teachers and their entitlement processing.

He responded to queries from Member for Jimi, Mai Dop on the implementation of the Parliamentary Referral Committee on Education in relation to the findings and recommendations of the Teachers Salary and Entitlements.

Minister Kuman said on the issue of the establishment of teaching service commission representatives in the provinces is a main issues that the department is faced with.

“Where teachers right throughout the country come to Port Moresby and inquire about their pay, leave entitlements, and all these things. We are used to seeing a lot of long queues at Fincorp (Education Department’s office),” Mr Kuman said.

“Since I came in and with the recommendations and thankful that the recommendations came in at the right time and that we need to really look at how best we can serve the teacher right throughout the country.”

“One of which is that we must decentralize the TSC or Teacher Services Commission Officers right throughout the country, so in other words we are delegating all those responsibilities to each and every provincial government in this country.”

He added that TSC functions will also be decentralized to now ensure all queries about leave fares, appointments, will be done at the provincial level.

“We will only approve and process them at the national level.”

“So far we got two provinces it has been established in Enga and Chimbu and we are currently working on the Morobe one and we will eventually make sure that all these TSC offices will be established right around the country.”