Education Minister Doctor Mahendra Reddy said the salary level of the new 653 teacher appointees will be $12,360 this year as they have never taught in any classroom before.
Doctor Reddy’s comments come after Fiji Teachers Union General Secretary Agni Deo Singh raised concerns that this is the lowest salary grade that has been established to pay untrained and unqualified teachers on short term contracts wherever there is a shortage of trained teachers.
However the Education Minister said the union does not understand the salary structure.
Agni Deo Singh said to employ the fully qualified new graduates at $12,360 is exploitation at its worst.
He claimed the Ministry is taking undue advantage of these teachers.
