Permanent Secretary for Education, Alison Burchell has stressed that Heads of Schools can contact the Ministry directly if they have any issues with their roles being revised.
Head Teachers and Principals are required to spend a certain amount of time teaching in addition to their other duties from the beginning of the new school year.
This announcement has resulted in strong reactions from the public with some supporting the decision while others thinking this will put unnecessary pressure on Heads of Schools and negatively affect their performance.
Burchell held discussions with the General Secretary of the Fiji Teachers Union, Agni Deo Singh and Fijian Teachers Association General Secretary Paula Manumanunitoga.
Singh says the union is concerned the Ministry wants the Heads of Schools to spend a certain number of hours teaching.
He says there is a lot of work that Heads of Schools have to do including dealing with school management, parents and other stakeholders as well as responding to the Ministry of Education on a regular basis.
He says there are many occasions during the school term when Heads of Schools are compelled to teach when a teacher is not at school.
The Head Teacher or Principal of a small school is required to share half of a full teaching load, the Head Teacher or Principal of a medium-sized school is required to share a quarter of a full teaching load while the Head of School of a large school will be sharing 20 percent of a full teaching load.
