Acting appointments in schools are made only by the Education Ministry.

Acting appointments in schools are made only by the Education Ministry.

Education Minister Premila Kumar says principals and school management do not have the authority to appoint teachers to acting positions.

Kumar made this clear following concerns about some teachers not being paid while appointed to act in leadership positions in schools for the past two years.

“If any teacher has a letter saying that he/she was appointed by the ministry and he or she is not paid, I suggest that the teacher should come forward with that letter and we will make sure that the teacher is paid but as far as I know, the ministry has paid all acting appointments.”

In response, Fijian Teachers Association General Secretary Paula Manumanunitoga says in some instances, school principals use their prerogative to appoint teachers to act as heads of departments.

He says principals should be held accountable and be properly advised by the ministry.

“We feel that these teachers have been doing the work, they’ve been organizing their departments. They have been preparing everything for people working under them and it’s only right if we pay them.”

More than 13,000 teachers are currently employed by the Education Ministry.