Education allocation for recurrent expenditure

EDUCATION Minister Anthony Garcia yesterday said the $159 million allocation made to the ministry during Thursday’s mid-year budget presented by Finance Minister Colm Imbert will be used for recurrent expenditure for primary school teachers, janitorial companies and security firms.

Teachers would be paid $75 million in back pay and Cost of Living Allowance (COLA), and six janitorial companies would receive $2 million, as would seven security firms. He said 7,000 primary school teachers stand to benefit from the pay-out.

Garcia said they were not owed for any extended period of time, but the ministry wanted to ensure that before the fiscal year-end, there was sufficient funding to allow schools to be cleaned and run in such a way so that teachers and students could work in an environment conducive to learning and teaching.