Praneeta Prakash 
Education Minister Aseri Radrodro has ensured that teachers receive rural allowance and salary upgrades for those who have completed relevant qualifications in line with the Teacher Remuneration policy.
This as the Ministry of Education received the allocation of $8.9m in the announced 2023-2024 budget.
He says a total of 4,382 teachers qualify for the rural location allowance and to date, 4,242 teachers have been paid.
Radrodro says from the budget of $5.7m, work continues for the other 140 remaining teachers as the Human Resources Unit has to ensure that all due processes and procedures are followed.
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He says teachers who are serving in eligible rural and maritime schools, receive payment of location allowance on a termly basis.
Moreover, 131 teachers have upgraded their qualifications with diplomas and bachelor’s degrees in ECE, Primary and Secondary Education.
The Education Minister says as of 31st August , a total amount of $338,031.74 has been paid out to those eligible teachers and the remaining will have their salary upgraded once they submit relevant documents to HR.
Radrodro assures teachers that the location allowance and salary upgrade for eligible teachers should be completed by end of term 3, 2023.
He adds the Ministry is also closely monitoring the update on the review of ECE teachers’ salary regularization.
The salary upgrade is based on the revised Job Responsibilities with daily working hours to be reviewed number from 5 to 8 hours.
Radrodro firmly believes that ECE teachers should be supported as they are the ones that lay the critical foundation of formal education.
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