Opposition Urges PNG Government to Prioritize Teachers’ Back Pay

The Marape government has the financial capacity to clear K607 million in unpaid teacher entitlements but continues to neglect educators through poor prioritisation, PNG Opposition Leader James Nomane says.

The Member for Chuave said years of unpaid benefits have left teachers demoralised and classrooms destabilised, while warrants were rapidly issued for programs that suited political interests.

 Opposition Urges PNG Government to Prioritize Teachers’ Back Pay

Mr. Nomane said teachers had been denied basic entitlements, including leave fares, housing allowances, salary adjustments and retirement benefits, despite their role as the backbone of national development. He said the selective release of funds had punished educators and undermined learning outcomes.

He criticised the 2026 National Budget, noting that K1.7 billion had been allocated to Connect PNG and almost K500 million to the Prime Minister’s Office and NEC, while teacher arrears remained unresolved. According to Mr. Nomane, the figures exposed distorted priorities within government.

The Opposition Leader attributed the growing debt to underfunding of education, payroll inefficiencies and administrative failures that have persisted across multiple budget cycles, warning that students were now paying the price for continued inaction.

As Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Nomane proposed settling all teacher entitlements within 2026 by reallocating funds from non-essential political programs, stating that more than enough money existed to clear the arrears several times over.

He called for an urgent recall of Parliament to pass a Supplementary Budget, saying the Prime Minister, as a former Education Minister, must act decisively. “Political courage is the only missing ingredient. Pay the teachers now and restore credibility to this government,” he said.