CBMP Analytical Report Part 1 - Transparency and Accountability ...

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According to the teachers, the above scenario complicate the life of the teacher further when the ‘victim teachers’ try to follow up their salary shortage. Here, the study showed that neither the Head Teacher nor the Primary Education Advisor would solve such a problem. Thus the teachers concerned have to follow up with the Accounts Section at the DEM Office. The DEM Office also seems not to have any immediate solution because they also just receive the Pay-Roll from higher office. Thus the DEM Office might only help follow up to higher authority. Thus, the teachers concerned lose a lot of contact hours with the pupils to go all the way to the DEM Office to present their issues and make follow up. Furthermore, they have to spend further from their already reduced salary on transport from their schools to DEM Office. All these reduce hugely the quality of teaching service in primary schools. While the costs are not significant for teachers in urban areas, it is high and substantial for those is rural areas, and it comes out of their ‘already low’ wages. In conclusion, when all these are looked at, it is really temping that another salary administrative system could be put in place to reduce hiccups in the delivery and general administrative system, or other procedures be put in place to avoid all these anomalies with the cash system. 3.2.6 Security of Teachers’ Salaries The study took cognizance that many other incidences can or do occur putting the teachers (which already have several anomalies) to security risks. The study looked at different stages of salary processing. However, more focus was at points where cash is involved. It was found out that when the Accounts Office at district level is processing, it is usually in the form of Cheque which is obtained from the Education Division Office. The Cheque is usually safe in that once it is missing, a statement could be sent to the bank to cancel the transaction in time, unlike hard cash. The 23
study also found out that once the District Accounts Office has cashed the salary Cheque, it seeks the services of the police in that district to provide security as they pack the money according to the zones. Furthermore, there is police escort as they move with money to the zones for delivery. However, once the money reaches the zones, security does not continue. The PEA keeps the money for different schools for some time without security as they try to communicate with Head Teachers of different schools in their zones to come and collect the money for their respective schools. It is apparent that once a vehicle with police escort at the zone arrives, the community at large knows that it brings teachers salaries. This keeps the security of the money and the PEA himself/herself at huge risk. This fear though, makes the PEA communicate quickly to different Head Teachers to ensure that all the money is distributed the following day. However, the PEA does not have any special provisions for communication to the teachers such that they use their own resources to communicate. And, in the rainy season, not all Head Teachers would be easily reached and immediately come to the zone due to transport as well as actual communication hiccups. This makes the PEA keep the money longer and increase security risk concerns. While the security of the PEA is a great concern, Head Teachers’ security is ignored as well. Head Teachers travel long distances to the various zones to collect salaries. Often times, they wait at the zone for long time of the day for actual salaries to arrive with Accounts personnel from DEM Office. Thus, they return late in the night to their respective schools carrying cash for fellow teachers without security. This puts them and the money at high risk especially those that come from far (from zones) [especially that they are not provided with any means of transport and security]. On another note, the study found out that Head Teachers themselves have resorted to going with a fellow teacher for security reasons. However, this compromises teaching 24
Page 1 and 2: FINAL REPORT PUBLIC EXPENDITURE TRA
Page 3 and 4: LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Teachers
Page 5 and 6: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Community Base
Page 7 and 8: teachers (the majority in Mulanje)
Page 9 and 10: • There is also need to institute
Page 11 and 12: (TAP) in order to conduct a Public
Page 13 and 14: 1.3 Scope of Work To achieve this p
Page 15 and 16: Having agreed on the above, pre-tes
Page 17 and 18: 3.0 STUDY FINDINGS 3.1 Demographic
Page 20 and 21: Table 2: Academic Qualifications fo
Page 22 and 23: that teachers are eligible for prom
Page 24 and 25: which might deter their commitment
Page 26 and 27: exacerbated by the fact that teache
Page 28 and 29: the study found out that there is n
Page 30 and 31: The table above shows that teachers
Page 34 and 35: service even further especially in
Page 36 and 37: 56.3% of the schools affected, clas
Page 38 and 39: may be tempted to say, is collected
Page 40 and 41: Table 8: Variable How teachers cope
Page 42 and 43: 3.3 Government Efforts 3.3.1 New Me
Page 44 and 45: it is not yet realized at higher ad
Page 46 and 47: • The mode of salary access is al
Page 48 and 49: esponsible should create village ag

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