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Crisis grips adult literacy programme

DUBAI — All education zones across the country are facing a critical situation after teachers who are on the pay roll of the Ministry of Education as well as others have refused to invigilate at the adult education examination centres on the ground that the ministry has not given them remuneration for the first semester, which exceed Dh400,000.

The education zone administrations in all emirates, too, have expressed resentment over the ministry’s indifference to paying the wages, which do not exceed Dh400 for each invigilator.

It is learnt that the request file is still pending with the office of acting undersecretary of the ministry. The file contains a list of invigilators and their dues, and a detailed report issued by the Education Department regarding their dues which have not been paid even after three months.

The Adult Education Department in the ministry has washed its hands off the issue as it feels financial matters were neither their nor the assistant undersecretary of the education department’s concern. The decision, the department felt, was in the hands of the Minister of Education and the acting undersecretary in the ministry.

Abdulrahim Fahim, head of the training section in the Adult Education Department, however, revealed the correspondence he had received from the education zones highlighting the number of invigilators and their dues.

According to reliable and informed sources, the payments of invigilators have been withheld because it was being felt that the Adult Education Department had become redundant and it could be scrapped any time.

Nevertheless, education zone managements have prepared lists of invigilators who are entitled to payments, which include 283 in Al Ain, 437 in Abu Dhabi, 125 in Dubai, 204 in Sharjah and 35 in Umm Al Quwain.