The Herald
16 September 2010
Government has approved an education strategic plan to improve teachers’ salaries and working conditions, a Cabinet minister has said.
Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart said Cabinet approved the plan on Tuesday.
“Its main focus is to uplift the general status of teachers, not just their salaries but also working conditions,” Minister Coltart said.The minister did not say what exactly Government was going to do to improve working conditions but indicated Cabinet wanted to close the gap between incentives paid to urban and rural teachers.
His announcement came as the Public Service Association said it will stage a march tomorrow to protest low salaries. Minister Coltart said the plan would result in reforms to the education curricula, which has remained unchanged for the past two decades.
He said a consultant had been identified to assist in the reforms.
Meanwhile, leaders of the Public Service Association yesterday met some Government workers and agreed it was time the State addressed their concerns. In an interview afterwards, PSA executive secretary Mr Emmanuel Tichareva said: “We want a living wage that enables us to live comfortably not the peanuts we are getting. MPs and ministers can afford top-of-the-range cars yet we cannot get enough food for our families.
“People are now being forced into corruption because of the low salaries.”
He said the march was not political but was to force Government to come to the negotiating table.
“We are not political in any way and we should guard against those that might hijack our activities.”