Education Ministry: Funding allocated for EAP

News Newsday 3 Hrs Ago

Minister of Education Dr Michael Dowlath -

The Ministry of Education says it is actively addressing the provision of Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) services to ensure employees have access to effective, efficient and sustainable psychosocial support.

The ministry said so in a statement on December 9 after media reports of some teachers opting to pay $450 per session for counselling, despite the ministry supposedly providing an EAP service.

“The Ministry of Education confirms that funding for the EAP was allocated from the fiscal 2026 Budget,” the statement said.

While confirming the allocation, the statement did not say whether the ministry had actually received such funds.

“At this time, no user fees have been introduced for ministry-supported EAP counselling services and employees are not required to pay any fee, including $450 per counselling session, to access ministry-provided support.”

The ministry said any counselling services independently arranged by teachers outside of ministry-approved mechanisms fall outside the scope of the EAP and should not be interpreted as a replacement for employer-supported services.

“The Ministry of Education recognises that mental health and psychosocial support are critical to employee well-being, workforce resilience and the effective delivery of education services nationwide.

“The ministry remains fully committed to ensuring that appropriate support mechanisms are in place for all employees and will provide further updates once arrangements are finalised,” the release said.