Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Gaël Rangain
Published on 2024-03-13 06:00:45
Rs 25,500 for a teacher in the first year of service and Rs 29,550 in the tenth year
Those without an MIE diploma will have a deadline of five years to obtain it
Heads of Schools/Managers uncertain
After preschools, it is now the turn of educators in the Special Education Needs (SEN) sector to benefit from a revision of their working conditions. The report of the National Remuneration Board (NRB) has been readjusted and published in the Government Gazette. Salaries, ranging from Rs 25,550 to Rs 29,550, will be paid by the Special Education Needs Authority (SENA) starting from April, with retroactive effect to January 2024.
It is the first time that educators engaged in special education in the private sector are entitled to a legal framework. Negotiations led by the Confederation of Private Sector Workers (CTSP) resulted in the publication of the Remuneration Order for the SEN sector in December 2022. However, the authorities took time to finalize the terms before proposing an updated salary scale aligned with other sectors. The Remuneration Order was Gazetted last week and the new announcement was made to educators last Saturday at a SENA workshop, in the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun.
Henceforth, an SEN educator holding their Teachers Diploma (SEN) from the Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE) will be entitled to a salary of Rs 25,500 in their first year of service. After ten years, they can earn Rs 29,550. Those who do not yet hold the diploma will have a five-year deadline to complete their training, as was the case for preschool managers. However, it is understood within the sector that the majority of specialized teachers have already completed the MIE courses and obtained their diploma.
Teacher Assistants/Clerks will receive a salary of Rs 22,300 at the beginning of their career, reaching Rs 25,225 in the 10th year. The remuneration for Carers/Drivers starts at Rs 18,755 and will increase to Rs 21,587 in the 10th year. Caretakers will start at Rs 18,150 and reach Rs 20,280.
When asked about this, Arvin Authelsingh, director of SENA, indicates that priority will be given to already registered staff. “There are 77 SEN schools, 45 managed by NGOs and eight operating under SeDEC. The remainder consists of special units in public schools. The staff recruited by the PSC was already covered by the PRB, now, with the NRB, there is a legal framework for those who operated in the private sector as well. It took time for us to organize and structure this sector. The existing staff already registered with SENA will be given priority. Some have been there for a very long time,” he explains.
Specialized schools already receive a government Grant-in-Aid for their various expenses. With this new organization, the procedures should resemble those of preschools. Either SENA directly pays the staff salaries, as ECCEA does for preschools. The Management will then receive an Operation Grant for other expenses. “People who do not yet have their diploma will be on a temporary basis, until they complete their training. Our vision is to go as far as a Bachelor of Education for the SEN sector,” it is stated.
Arvin Authelsingh emphasizes that it took time to restructure and professionalize the special education sector. “This new salary scale gives dignity to those who, over the years, have worked for the well-being of children with special needs. The SEN sector has its specificities. We have a 1:7 ratio, but some children may require more attention and we need to adapt. At present, we have 990 people in the sector. I encourage those who do not yet have their diploma to complete their training,” he says.
In addition to educators trained at MIE, SENA also works in collaboration with Polytechnics Mauritius and the Mauritius Institute of Training and Development for the training of supervisors. The RO recognizes four categories of employees: Teachers, Assistant Teachers/Clerks, Carers/Drivers, and Caretakers. The only issue is that there are no Head of Schools mentioned, leaving them uncertain.
Educators will also be entitled to vacation leave abroad every five years, as in other education sectors. A three-month notice period is applicable to inform the employer. Employees in the SEN sector will receive Rs 3,500 for the purchase of glasses or lenses. Likewise, the employer must pay for an annual medical check-up. Transportation is also reimbursed.
The Remuneration Order makes no provision for Heads of Schools/Managers. Unlike preschools, where managers are entitled to a monthly salary of Rs 35,000 and a four-year deadline to obtain their MIE Diploma.
However, in the SEN sector, all Heads of Schools/Managers have already completed their training and received their MIE diploma long ago. Nevertheless, they do not appear in the new salary scale… An anomaly that remains, even though it was pointed out during the preparation of the first report in December 2022.
When asked about this, Arvin Authelsingh stated that discussions are ongoing with the Ministry of Education to find a solution for the Heads of Schools/Managers. It is worth noting that not all Heads of Schools/Managers are NGO directors; some are simple employees, as in the case of former APEIM educators who now operate under SeDEC.
In the public sector, according to the PRB 2021, a Head of Specialized Schools is entitled to a salary of Rs 33,175. This amount will need to be adjusted with the salary compensation.
Uma Sooben: “A great motivation”
For the director of the NGO Joie de Vivre Universelle, which manages a specialized school, this Remuneration Order is a recognition of the work done with children with special needs. “It is a great motivation. Our school has been operating since 2010 and we have worked hard to accomplish our mission.”
She also praises the SENA team, under the leadership of Arvin Authelsingh, who she says has worked tirelessly to professionalize the special education sector. “Today, everyone should be trained at MIE. Previously, we had in-service training. Now, everyone has their diploma… and the salary that goes with it.”
Read the original article(French) on Le Mauricien
