House Chairperson, the financial plight of retired teachers, including those who were forced into retirement, is getting out of hand.
These former teachers have not received any of their deserved benefits, including pension payouts, for months now. This has devastated them financially. Some of them are close to losing their homes and cannot even support their families because they have not been paid what they are owed.
These teachers have dedicated their lives to the betterment of our children and the advancement of our society. Their hard work and passion for their career and their learners showed itself in their work, and instead of retiring to enjoy the fruits of their labour, they are forced to suffer the indignity of not being able to provide for themselves because their pensions and other benefits are inaccessible.
Government constantly stresses that education is the key to changing one's life. However, the very people who are crucial to the education process - the teachers - are abandoned by their government. With this attitude towards teachers, it is no wonder that many are leaving the profession and others are turned away from becoming teachers because they see discrepancies between what government says and what they experience in reality. I thank you.