Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says the coalition Government’s plan to remove teachers’ contracts will allow them to meet the stringent requirements to obtain home loans and other major purchases.
He said this at a news conference yesterday where he dismissed comments made by former education minister Premila Kumar who claimed under the FijiFirst government, teachers on three-year contracts were not disadvantaged.
When asked to respond to Government’s plan to remove teachers’ contracts, Ms Kumar said the private sector also did not provide life-long jobs.
“Contracts are what we have to sign and they were only for three years but that does not mean we could not get loans from banks, could not build our home, could not buy a car,” she said.
When put to her that no bank or lending institution would extend a home loan to an employee on a three-year contract, she said that was not true.
“I can share my experience with you.
“I was always on three-year contracts and renewals but I built a house.”
Mr Rabuka said he did not know where Ms Kumar “was coming from”.
“Many members of the education staff – those on contract – could not secure loans because they could not prove to their lending institutions that they had a secure source of income for the time of the loan.
“I do not know where she is coming from.
“I have heard from both the Fijian Teachers Association and the Fiji Teachers Union.”
PM RABUKA RESPONDS TO PREMILA KUMAR COMMENTS
