BY BEN BILUA
Gizo
TEACHERS have expressed their disappointment over their travelling allowance, saying it is inadequate to meet their travel for this Christmas Holiday.
Dudley Tutina is among other teachers who will be digging into his own pocket to meet his family’s travel.
He is teaching in one of the schools in Makira/Ulawa province and his family is planning to spend the Christmas holiday in Isabel Province.
Travelling from Makira to Isabel requires lots of money for fare, food, accommodation in Honiara and boat hiring from port of call to final destination, and return trip.
“Just imagine when you receive SBD2000 travelling allowance for a family of five children and you are planning to travel from Makira to Honiara and Honiara to Kia in Isabel province. Not forgetting the return routine to reach Makira province.
“This amount is nothing to say the least if you look at the current sea fare and other cost related to travel for such as long distance,” Tutina said.
He said he has followed the required instruction by submitting a full breakdown of the travelling cost to the Education Authority.
Tuitina said the unfair treatment has been in the teaching service and that Education Authority as well as the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development must clarify who is responsible for such issues.
Like Tutina, other teachers also took to social media expressing their disappointment at the government through responsible authority for the ill treatment towards teachers.
“The government just splashed out millions of towards Mamara contractors last week but forgot to address some of the country’s top issue like teachers travelling allowance.
“This government has no priority towards what is important for the country,” one teacher commented.
