OPPOSITION spokesman for Education Mikaele Leawere said Government’s allocation in the 2016-2017 National Budget for Early Childhood Education teachers was nothing to celebrate.

He said the increase in salary grants was not a pay rise and it also fell far short of what teachers should be paid given their critical role in educating and developing children.

Mr Leawere cited an article which appeared in this newspaper on August 3 where Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Minister Rosy Akbar officiated at the launch of Early Childhood Week activities at St Andrews Primary School in Nadi.

“If it’s a salary increase then in accordance with its correct description, teachers are to be paid in order to commensurate with their qualifications and in the salary level of $16,000 which should be above the income tax threshold,” he said.

“Teachers are not provided with an increase but it is a salary grant that they will source their salary from.

“If it is an increase, then all deductions are to be effected, unfortunately, it is only their FNPF that is being deducted.

“Therefore, in simple terms, it is only an increase in salary grant.”

Mr Leawere also said teachers’ salaries needed to reflect their importance to society.

“They deserve to be paid according to their job description.

“Teachers educate the nation and carry out a very important task and I have said this on numerous occasions in the House that they deserve more than the peanuts they are currently receiving.”

Previously, ECE teachers were paid $900 a term for degree holders, $600 a term for diploma graduates and $400 a term for teachers with basic training.

In the 2016-2017 National Budget, Government raised degree holders pay to $6987 a year, diploma graduates to $4300 per annum and basic training graduates to $3225 a year.