The Ministry of Education has been recruiting retired teachers to teach in primary schools since some years. It appears that there is an increasing number of primary school employees who retired last year or some time earlier and who applied to act as supply teachers. But the Ministry seems to apply certain criteria relating to these people, which seem to be totally incorrect.

One of the major issues in connection with recruitment of retired teachers relates to the allocation of Std I classes to them. Most of the time it is the youngest teachers who are allocated Std I classes in schools but this time most ,if not all , supply teachers who are above the age of 60 have been instructed to take charge of these classes. We are not pleading for these teachers to be given higher or better classes at the detriment of officers who are in post but it does not seem that the decision to allocate Std I classes to these people is pedagogically sound. Another vital issue that seems to have escaped the attention of the authorities relates to the fact that special training sessions were organized regarding the ?Bridging the gap? project during the last holidays for teachers who were to be given Std I this year and supply teachers did not attend it.

The ministry has this year taken the wise decision to post those who worked in very distant schools last year closer to their places of residence. It would be appreciated if the same policy could be applied for those who have been recruited this year as it is not easy for aged people to travel long distances. The same people also hold the view that the issue of payments for traveling and a pro-rata bonus as incentives to them ought to be reconsidered.

<B>Retired teacher</B>