The Minister of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD) Hon. Lanelle Tanangada has committed to implementing a new scheme of service for teachers, and to bring to Parliament an Education Bill.

The Education Minister made the remarks during this year’s World Teachers Day celebrations in Honiara last week.

She stressed that it is the role of the central government through the Ministry of Education and the Education Authorities to ensure that teachers are recruited, employed and supported to provide quality teaching and learning for students.

“On this note, it is my government’s intention and priority that we would like to see a new teachers’ scheme of service implemented along with the new education bill,” she highlighted.

She says the bill is currently in its draft form, and will form the basis for a new teachers and leader’s administrative instruction guide, which will replace the current teaching service handbook.

“Until this draft is endorsed, we anticipate to have a teacher’s scheme that is fair, implementable and one that promotes career progression for teachers in the country,” she added.

Mrs. Tanangada said that the continuing increase in the number of teachers and schools in the country over the years, has compounded teacher management issues, which she acknowledges is a major challenge for her ministry.

“Managing approximately eleven thousand plus teachers in thirty different Education Authorities with different geographical settings pushes my ministry to a new level of managing teachers,” she admitted.

To help curb teacher management issues, her Ministry has recently introduced to the Education Authorities a new Education Information Management System.

It is hoped that the system would better support Education Authorities manage teacher employment issues at the education authority and school levels.

She further added that work has begun and hopefully education authorities should start using the system early next year.

The Minister went on to officially announce the establishment of a special teachers’ award for the best performing teacher which will happen every five years during World Teachers’ Day events.

This will coincide with the national education action plan – five year plan of MEHRD and details of the criteria in which teachers who wished to be considered for the award will be developed and is expected to begin in 2024.