The Teaching Service Commission (TSC) has issued a high-level directive to ensure the stability of the national teaching workforce for the 2026 academic year.
Mr. Maini Mike, TSC Chairman, has moved to protect teachers from illegal displacement and administrative errors ahead of the critical Pay 9 auto-suspension deadline.
Related news: https://pnghauslain.com/serving-teachers-to-remain-in-2025-positions-displacement-declared-illegal/
The Commission’s position is absolute: “All serving teachers must be on teaching positions in the 2026 postings. If they are not, then those teachers must be under disciplinary action, released, resigned, deceased, or exited through a legal process.
If serving teachers are displaced through an illegal process, TSC will maintain them on pay in their 2025 positions and they must not be moved. Teachers’ movements should only be caused by gazetted positions and promotions.
Under Section 24 of the Teaching Service Act, it is strictly illegal to displace serving teachers.
Any appointing authority attempting to do so is acting outside the law, and the Commission will intervene to ensure service continuity is maintained,” he said.
The TSC has a duty to provide job security for serving teachers.
“We are also sending a clear warning to all Provincial Education Boards: the appointment process must never be used as a tool to discipline teachers. Displacement is not a disciplinary measure.
Every province is required to have a formal Disciplinary Committee in place to handle conduct issues through the proper legal channels.
Our priority is to protect our serving teachers first, while allocating remaining vacancies to new graduates,” he said.
“We are calling on all Provincial Education Boards (PEBs) to convene urgent meetings immediately to rectify appointment lists and resolve these issues before the Pay 9 ‘Auto-Pay’ suspension takes effect.
We must ensure that active, serving teachers are not wrongfully removed from the payroll due to administrative delays,” said Dr. Charly Muke, TSC Commissioner Policy.
“To protect those affected, the TSC has officially nullified recent appointment decisions in Hela, Gulf, and Manus provinces, as well as all national institutions.
“Teachers in these regions are to be fully maintained in their 2025 positions.
Any teacher currently facing displacement is urged to write to their respective Provincial TSC Officers and submit their documents, including the Oath of Loyalty, via email to the TSC headquarters no later than March 27, 2026,” Dr. Muke said.
Provincial TSC, Salaries, and Payroll Officers are directed to immediately process TSC-approved tenure listings and PEB-endorsed consequential appointments captured on the Teachers Online Appointment Management System.
Compliance with TSC Circular 1 of 2026 and the direction of December 12, 2025, is mandatory to avoid further disruption.