The teacher pay increase of seven to 10 per cent is based on the Ministry of Education’s financial affordability.
Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro explained this when asked about teachers’ reactions to their earlier 30 per cent pay increase proposal.
Mr. Radrodro said the pay increase was implemented to boost teacher morale and will take effect starting today.
“We must thank the Coalition Government and the Ministry of Finance for the salary increase.”
The increase will also accommodate teachers who had earlier missed out on the regularisation of pay process.
Mr. Radrodro said they had received positive feedback from the teacher unions (Fijian Teachers Union and Fiji Teachers Union) despite not meeting the initial 30 per cent request.
He called for common sense to prevail, noting that pay increases depend on the Government’s ability to allocate additional funds from its revenue to support the increase for teachers.
“We are paying an increase based on the capacity we have to pay.”
However, Mr. Radrodro acknowledged the genuine call by the teacher unions for improvement of teacher welfare, especially those in rural areas.
“We can discuss and review in some other way where teacher’s welfare can be looked at.”
Teachers must have a conducive environment to teach and reside during their term of teaching in an area.