The Ombudsman and Commissioner for Education update House of Representatives on the implementation of recommendations
Published May 08, 2025
In a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Parliamentary Ombudsman and the Commissioner for Education, have, pursuant to Article 22(4) of the Ombudsman Act, updated members of the House of Representatives on recent developments regarding two cases previously tabled before the House:
- Improper discrimination in the payment of qualification allowance, tabled during Sitting No. 145 of 10 July 2023 (CEDUC-22-2985)
- Final Opinion on unjust denial of qualification allowance to a government school teacher, tabled during Sitting No. 265 of 21 October 2024 (CEDUC-24-4612)
On 23 April 2025, the Principal Permanent Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister informed the Office of the Ombudsman that, following an extensive process of consultation and verification, the two individuals who had filed complaints in the cases mentioned above would be granted the contested allowance retroactively – that is, from the date on which they were entitled to it – and this on the basis of the ‘legitimate expectation’ they had when they commenced (and subsequently successfully completed) an academic course, as had been recommended by the Office of the Ombudsman in both cases.
It is to be noted that although the letter from the Principal Permanent Secretary refers explicitly only to case CEDUC-24-4612, further correspondence with the Directorate for Governance Action within the Office of the Prime Minister confirmed that the same resolution applies equally to the complainant in case CEDUC-22-2985.
