政壇：睇社論學英文：津校計錯薪金 教局不能卸責

津校計錯薪金 教局不能卸責

港府近年推行工作外判制度，美其名節省開支，實際上連監管責任也一併外判，早已為人詬病。想不到實行多年的校本管理制度，原來與外判制度一樣，教育局把管理校政責任全面下放至學校，放任自流，一旦出了問題，便把責任推得一乾二淨。

三十多名津貼中小學教師及文員近日向教育團體投訴被教育局追討錯誤計算薪金或強積金供款，最高金額逾四十萬元，鬧得人心惶惶，有教師坦言無力歸還。津校教職員薪金由公帑支付，一分一毫均應計算清楚，教育局追討多發的薪酬，本來無可厚非，問題是，計錯薪金的責任誰屬？如果學校是始作俑者，作為監管者的教育局責任又在哪裏？

細看出錯個案，涉事教職員因為升級、進修及編制變動而錯誤計薪，均經教育局批准才發放。令人訝異的是，教育局未能即時發現出錯，部分個案拖延年期長達八年。追源溯始，港府當年實施校本管理條例，藉權力下放之名，把計算教師薪金工作逐步推給學校。事實上，編列預算和計算薪金工作複雜，教育局才是最熟悉運作的部門，當局把責任轉移專長教學的學校，自己撒手不理，焉能不出錯。

When subsidized schools miscalculate salaries, EDB cannot shirk its responsibility

In recent years, the Hong Kong government has introduced a contract-out system. Describing it euphemistically as expenditure-saving, the government has actually even contracted out at the same time its supervisory responsibility and thus attracted loads of castigation. Unexpectedly, the school-based management system which has been implemented for years turns out to be the same as the contract-out system. The Education Bureau (EDB) has adopted a laissez-faire policy and completely devolved the power of management to schools. The responsibility of fixing problems is entirely shifted to the schools.

Over 30 teachers and clerks of subsidized primary and secondary schools have complained to education organizations that the EDB is chasing after them for reimbursement of wrongly calculated overpayment of salaries or Mandatory Provident Fund contributions. As the highest amount of reimbursement exceeds $400,000, many of them are on tenterhooks. Some teachers admit frankly that they simply cannot afford to pay back. The wages of subsidized school staff are paid with public money, therefore they must be calculated very accurately. It is understandable for the EDB to demand repayment of the overpaid amount. The question is: who should be held responsible for the wrong calculation of pay? If schools are the culprits, then what is the responsibility of the EDB as the supervisor?

If we were to look at the faulty cases carefully, we would find that the miscalculations arose from promotion or continuing education of staff and faculty, as well as changes in establishment of schools. All these had to be approved by the EDB before payments were made. It is surprising that the EDB did not discover the mistakes on the spot; indeed, some of the cases have been dragging on for 8 years. The source of the problems was the government's enactment of the school management law. In the name of devolution of authority, the task of calculating salaries has been gradually shifted onto schools. In fact, the making of budget and calculation of pay is very complicated and the EDB is the department most familiar with the job. Schools only have their expertise in teaching; when the EDB shuffles off its budgetary duty onto them, is it any wonder that they may occasionally err?

重要生字

describe it euphemistically as 美其名曰

people are on tenterhooks 人心惶惶

devolution of authority 權力下放