The Teaching Service Commission has announced that all teachers across the country will be paid a 3% increment based on a Memorandum of Agreement that was signed between the Teaching Service Commission and PNG Teachers’ Association on the Determination of Salaries and Allowances in the Teaching Service 2023-2025. The 3% increase will be honoured on pay no.14, 2024 which is the next pay week. Chairman of Teaching Service Commission, Samson Wangihomie stated during a conference today that the 3% increment will be paid according to their individual salary per annum plus a 15% Teaching Service Allowance for all teachers’ across the country. He said that both the increment and allowance will be paid to teachers backdated to January 1st, 2023, accordingly. Wangihomie stated that the aim of the MOA signed was to renew and replace the previous 2017- 2019 MOA. Since 2019, teachers were getting paid as per the agreement from 2017-2019 so every allowance and salary paid, were captured in that agreement right until the recent signing in 2023. He also announced that Teaching Service Commission has elevated and reclassified all its base levels in which has elevated them one level above in all different levels of the schools starting from elementary to FODE levels including two schools for special need students as well as vocational centers too. “With this elevation means higher pay and that comes with higher responsibility." "All we do now is to call on them to be committed and work to serve the country with faithfulness and commitment and so this is what we the commission has done to ensure that our teachers are well taken care of and with that are very proud of our teachers.” He made it clear that teachers will only be paid allowances approved by the Teaching Service Commission, therefore made a call to all Provincial Education Boards to work with the TSC officers to identify other schools that have not been registered so that all teachers can be paid their hardship allowance. In terms of Teaching Service Allowance, all other allowances will be paid to specific teachers posted in specific locations such as mining allowances for schools near mining areas, disadvantaged or remote allowances as well as FODE allowances for teachers teaching in FODE classes. Similar to this, Commissioner of Teaching Service Commission, Maini Mike Ugaia, also stated that in terms of remote allowance, the previous MOA had included only one remote allowance for all teachers teaching in the remote areas but for the current agreement that was signed last year extended that particular allowance into three categories of remoteness which are; firstly remote, second which is very remote last is extreme remote. The amount of their allowances will determine which particular category they are based under. “This is to motivate our teachers to go and serve the children in those areas and with that, would like each Provincial Education Board to ensure that those teachers’ positions are maintained and that they must know where the teachers are located so we can include them under those respective categories.” Meanwhile, Chairman Wangihomie has issued a notice to all teachers from the Secretary of Education, Dr Uke Kombra, emphasizing all teachers that the National Census will end on the 30th of this month, June, therefore, all teachers must return to their schools to teach. “We released them for national duties to take part in the Census during a certain period, but if they have been asked by any of the Census team to extend their time to work, must advise our TSC officers in the province, however must still prepare work for their classes and pass it on to their substitute teacher; that way classes are not affected.” On top of this, Wangihomie expressed the challenges of teachers who are posted in certain areas across the nation that have experienced harassment or violent acts towards them from certain individuals in the area they live. He then called on people and the community to look after them as they are here to serve the community and also called on teachers to respect customs and values of the community they serve in as well. Furthermore, he commended his staff for their continuous support in ensuring that all teachers are well taken care of and also thanked the support of the government as well as PNG Teachers Association.