Teachers to get $300 stipend from government’s adjustment budget
Education Minister Dr Natalio Wheatley has announced that teachers will receive a $300 stipend from the government’s adjustment budget which was passed in the House of Assembly late last evening, September 22.
He explained that the stipend was being distributed at teachers’ request to compensate them for expending their own personal funds in acquiring learning resources to get their classrooms ready for the new school term.
Importantly, Dr Wheatley said the stipend should not be confused with any type of raise or salary increase, since this issue is expected to be dealt with separately through the upcoming salary review for the entire public service.
He also disclosed that the long-awaited 2017 salary increments for public servants was budgeted for in the adjusted allocations.
He described this development as a real victory for hard-working public servants who have to deal with cost-of-living increases and other different financial strains in these difficult times.
Dr Wheatley, in speaking to the adjusted budget, said while it is clear that no one likes to see any sort of reduction in their budgets, the government understands the situation that the country is facing, adding that it requires all residents to do more.
“It requires us to volunteer more, it requires us to use our people power more, to cooperate more – not simply to look to the government every time to do everything,“ the Deputy Premier stated.
He added: “But if we as private citizens, if we as civic organisations, we as a corporate community can come together to really invest in the BVI, we can make it through this COVID-19 period together.”
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
thousands of dollars are being SQUANDERED (on barges and the DARKIE in the (HOA) and the TEACHERS are INSULTED with pocket change ? and BIG youth thinks he has done a MAGNIFICENT job ?
Shut your mouth up you ungrateful human.
Sad what the education system has become. Thousands of dollars is wasted on big rides,furniture ?,office space and fulling the pockets of their “friends” and family while OUR children can’t have proper classrooms and the teachers are NOT respected or appreciated.
What’s that, a tip? 300 dollars? Teachers are being tipped now?
THIS SUPPOSE TO APPEASE ANYONE.
this is nonsense ..
The makeup of the non private schools population consists overwhelmingly of the children of immigrants and teachers from the Caribbean islands. The non taxpaying overnight religious groups collecting “tithes” and other monetary gains bytheir Bishops priest Reverends and other occult heads orginated from the said Caribbean isl
ands. A suggestion,a revelation ,a tweak of conscience or even the devil himself cannot nudge these poverty pimps to assist,to sponsor to donate to their own.
These VI are the architect of their own degraded lifestyle.
Build your country unnecessarily with takers,losers and criminals,the garbage litterers….
I swear I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. But, keep it. Respectfully and disrespectfully. It’s an insult. These teachers put soooooo much into these kids and their craft at an alarmingly LOW compensation rate. To turn around and throw them mere pittance?? A BIG JOKE really. Because when it comes to “other busniess” the whole piggy bank getting thrown.
He dont know how to value nothing so he think 300 is something dancing for. We aint no strippers so we are not happy
This is beyond an insult for all that we put up with. I like a slap in our face, but then agai what should we expect
well thank you (DARKIE) now please try and turn away from your vindictive ways and do the right thing on behalf of our people / and stop fooling yourself ( REPENT HEATHEN
why would DARKIE do the right thing on behalf of our people?
DARKIE is one of we?
$300??!! That is no money in the BVI. That’s just 3 grocery bags in Tortola smh. That’s shameful.
$300 to buy school supplies is better than nothing. I have never seen Government give an allowance to teachers for this purpose before. From long long ago teachers went in their pockets not because they had to but because they cared. If $300 was never given before and is now, can we be grateful and say thank you? Please spend it wisely on the things that the school would not typically provide you with.
I am grateful
@confused educator
I agree.
And if teachers spend wisely, it can go a long way. I don’t think the intent is for them to buy school furniture with the money, but I can see quite a bit of activity books, paper, posters, paper towels and other miscellaneous supplies being purchased with it. Many of us jump on Amazon, Office Max etc. to buy goods affordably, I don’t see why this isn’t a good thing…
So we criticize the efforts made by the Minister because it’s easy to do. Let’s look at another angle. You think teachers deserve more I do too. But why does it always have to come from the Government? Some parents add to the stresses of the teacher’s pocket by not providing their child needs. So the teacher will reach into his/her pockets to help.
Don’t see the problem as government. The problem lies with all of us.
Some of you here criticizing and bringing down the hammer on the Minister’s head have never showed your child’s teacher appreciation, never come to the school attend a PTA, speak terribly about the teachers within the presence of your child. And some of these children are so rude,to hear some teachers talk.
Sometimes it is not about the money but teachers want and need to feel appreciated by all.
Remember it takes a village to raise a child. Ask yourself what part are you playing and stop being so negative.
In the USA some teachers got reimbursed about $240 for the same thing even though some of them spent over $600 – $700 of their own money! It’s never enough anywhere. At least BVI teachers got $300.
Name me another profession where employees have to spend that kind of money on job supplies. Some people here frothing but would never spend a cent buying pens for their own job.