Church school educators to get higher allowances five months later

Church school educators will have to wait a while longer to receive higher allowances in line with the sectoral agreement reached last December.

The new allowance structure came into force on 1 January but while State school educators started benefitting from the increases at the start of the year, those in church schools were left waiting.

However, the Education Ministry has now told MaltaToday that agreement has been reached with the Secretariat for Church schools so that May’s payslip will reflect the increases.

“By June all arrears should be settled,” a ministry spokesperson said, when presented with the concerns raised by various educators, who spoke to MaltaToday.

Church school teachers, learning support educators and kindergarten educators, will receive arrears backdated to 1 January.

The sectoral agreement between the Malta Union of Teachers and the government covered State and church school educators.

Under the terms of the Church-State agreement, the salaries of educators in church schools are paid for by the government.

The ministry spokesperson said that while government has direct control over the salaries of State school teachers, in the case of church schools, the funds to cover the payroll expenditure are transferred to the church schools’ secretariat.

No explanation was given for the delay.