The Ministry of Education, Heritage and Arts would like to provide clarification on queries raised by FTU, following the Press Conference on the 18th of November 2021.
The Ministry appreciates and continues to support and acknowledge the good work that teachers are carrying out in schools. Our teachers are our biggest assets.
There is no doubt that teachers play a significant role in the success of any ongoing educational reforms. Hence, the Ministry is committed to ensuring quality workforce that will contribute towards achieving quality education for our children.
Regarding salary, teachers with degree and teacher training qualifications (education units including practicum) are paid between the salary range of $22,528.74 to $26,283.53 per annum. The Ministry regrets if this has caused confusion as only the upper range was mentioned during the Press Conference.
It should also be noted that the starting salary of Assistant Head Teachers (AHT) salary is based on the classification of the school size, i.e. medium and large. For example, AHTs who were on salary grade (ED4A and ED5D) transited to Band G Step 2 which is $32,038.10.
To support teachers’ professional development, Government has allocated In-Service Scholarships for Bachelor’s Degree in Special and Inclusive Education, Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and Diploma/Bachelors in Counselling and Psychology in this financial year. It is to be noted that the teacher training programmes are offered in flexible mode which our teachers are using to study.
Over the past 4 years, the Ministry has upgraded the salaries of 1,454 teachers who have upgraded their qualifications and we strongly encourage other teachers to continue upgrading their qualifications to keep abreast with the developments in the education sector through professional development.
The Fiji Teachers Registration Authority Act 2008 Part 19 Section 2 states that professional development is a requirement for the renewal of teacher registration certificates.
To allay any confusion on fully qualified teacher, the following aspects are required to be called a fully-qualified teacher:
- Education – relevant education units including classroom assessment (practicum).
- Subject content.
Clarification on fully qualified and assistant teacher requirements are as follows:
- Fully Qualified teacher –
- ECE –Bachelor of Education ECE
- SIE- Bachelor of Special and Inclusive Education
- Primary - Bachelor of Education Primary
- Secondary – Bachelor of Education Secondary or Bachelor’s degree in subject field plus an appropriate qualification in education such as Secondary Teacher Training Certificate [STTC], Graduate Certificate in Education [GCED] and Diploma in Education/Teaching.
- Assistant Teacher – A Diploma in Education/Teaching with practicum).
The Ministry further clarifies that practicum is an important component of teacher training programme. It helps student teachers to understand the full scope of a teacher’s role in teaching and managing students.
Teachers with Diploma and Certificate level qualifications are advised to upgrade their qualifications if they wish to receive higher salary as per the Teacher Remuneration Setting Policy either to progress to higher positions, or to compete in a teaching field where there are more graduates fully qualified to teach in certain discipline.
Permanent Secretary Dr Anjeela Jokhan stated that the Ministry as an employer is looking at all teacher grievances including salary anomalies based on established procedures. Therefore, she is requesting teachers to liaise with the Ministry. The Ministry will investigate all grievances and act accordingly.
Dr. Jokhan reiterated that the Fijian Government had increased salaries of teachers and post holders twice in the last 7 years.