By Robert Hart and Francine Black, Staff ReportersTHE BATTLE lines have been drawn as the Government and Opposition make contrasting claims about the number of teachers involved in the state's bid to reclaim some $750 million in salary overpayment to teachers.
Patrick Smith, senior secretary of the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA), has told The Gleaner that the Government would have to write off the overpayments as the association would not be agreeing to any reimbursement scheme that is presented by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture.
Senator Noel Montieth, Minister of State for Education, acknowledged yesterday that the JTA had backed off from an earlier acceptance of the repayment scheme and had advised the Ministry that it would be seeking legal counsel. At yesterday's sitting of the Senate, Senator Monteith explained the Government's move to address an error that first led to the overpayments, which began eight years ago.
"Prior to April 1995, the Specialist Teacher I and the Trained Teacher Certificate, had the same salary scales and the Specialist Teacher II and the Trained Teacher Diploma shared the same salary scale," he said.
He explained that "certain specialist teachers were erroneously recorded on salary records" as trained teachers and subsequently benefited from a separation of the salary scales that occurred in 1995. With the separation, trained teachers were put on a higher salary scale than specialists, resulting in the overpayments to the improperly-recorded teachers.
"The overpayments were not discovered until some of these persons reached retirement and certain particulars, including salary history were being checked," he added.
Senator Monteith was responding to a demand this week by Senator Anthony Johnson, JLP spokesman on education, for the Government to give the nation a full explanation of "the gross financial mismanagement that has caused serious embarrassment for many teachers." He argued that the teachers, spanning 28 of 29 categories in 1995, had been overpaid between $200,000 and $500,000 each.
Senator Johnson told journalists after yesterday's sitting that as many as 2,000 teachers were affected by the Government's error.
"This could not come at a worse time, since teachers have received many blows in recent years, this being the latest one," he added.
But speaking to The Gleaner yesterday, Senator Montieth scoffed at the claim that 2,000 teachers were involved saying: "That's a ridiculous number."
He estimated that only about 100 teachers were actually affected and added: "I don't understand Senator Johnson's role (in this matter)."
Senator Monteith said that despite the JTA's new-found stance, he expected the issue to come up for cordial discussion at next Tuesday's monthly meeting between the JTA and the Education Ministry.
"We are not opposed to re-opening discussions," he told The Gleaner, adding that the Ministry was not "trying to oppress anyone."
According to Senator Monteith, however, a portion of the overpayments had already been recovered from retroactive salary payments made in November, with about seven teachers facing deductions without prior knowledge. Though unable to provide the average deductions from salaries, he said that those seven teachers faced a 25 per cent deduction from their salaries.
Asked whether the deductions from salaries included a reduction in basic pay, he added, "I would imagine so."
