BY MORRIS NAFU
The Teaching Service Commission has been notably excluded from the draft Public Service Bill 2025, raising concern about fairness among public servants, particularly education practitioners across the country.
According to the draft bill, it includes the Judicial Legal Service Commission, Police, and Correctional Service Commission, leaving out Teaching Service Commission.
This omission has been described as unjust in the education sector.
Speaking at yesterday’s Bills and Legislative Committee meeting, Member of Parliament for Auki Langalanga and Leader of Opposition, Matthew Wale highlighted that the bill’s definition of “Commission” on page 3.
Wale stressed that it would be fair if teachers were treated equally as other public servants.
“Unfortunately, this has not been the case for decades.
“If it was one public service, then what you give public servants, you give teachers. It shouldn’t depend on who shouts the loudest from their trade unions,” Wale said.
Chairman of the Teaching Service Commission, Milner Tozaka, emphasised the importance of collaboration among all commissions.
“We commissioners cannot act alone in running the public service. Everything — prisoners, police, judiciary — is public service. We need to come together to create a working culture aligned with the bill’s objectives: a dynamic, efficient, effective, and productive public service,” Tozaka said.
He added that while respecting constitutional independence, regular meetings among commissions are necessary to share insights and improve management and administration across public offices.
Wale also noted that in an earlier presentation, it was explained that the Teaching Service Commission falls under the Education Act 2023, which is why it was excluded from the Public Service Bill 2025.
However, he urged the Teaching Service Commission to formally submit a request to be included in the bill.
The Public Service Bill hearing is set to continue today.
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