AS we celebrate workers of all classes in our society today, we at the Ministry of Education salute and celebrate our hard working and dedicated teachers and administrative staff who work ardently every day to shape the young minds and the future of Guyana. 

There are no set of words that can amply describe the importance of teachers in any society. The teaching profession is regarded worldwide as the mother of all professions, since it provides the foundation for learning in an individual, upon which all greater academic achievement rests.

In other words, teachers are the crucial guardians of intellectual life in any society. The Government of Guyana recognizes this, and has always placed great value on our teachers. And we have matched that value with real actions within the last two decades, which have significantly improved the quality of life for our teachers.

Teachers continue to benefit in numerous ways through the partnerships and agreements established by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Guyana Teachers Union, as together we strive to improve the working conditions of our teachers. Through the shrewd leadership of the GTU and its strategic engagements with the Ministry, along with the commitment of the PPP/C Government, teachers today enjoy the best benefits ever made available to them in the history of Guyana. While there is always room for improvement in all conditions of life, our teachers are being paid the most they have ever been paid in 20 years, and enjoy more benefits than ever before.
Today more teachers are being trained in Guyana than two decades ago. And very soon we will create history in Guyana when we elevate the teaching profession to its rightful place among the other recognized professions in Guyana, with the introduction of the Professional Standards for Teacher Education.

We look forward to the continued support of the Guyana Teachers Union as we work together to better the working conditions of our teachers. The Ministry of Education remains committed to improving the quality of teacher education in Guyana, and ultimately, the quality of teachers we place in the education system. Education is one of our nation’s biggest industries, and we, as a government, will continue to invest in it so that we can raise better generations of Guyanese citizens.

As we reflect on the importance of Labour Day, let us remember the past from which we came, and work assiduously to affect positively the future we will enjoy. Today we celebrate our hard working teachers in a profession that continues to improve through the unremitting commitment of a caring Government.
Let us continue the progress we have made so far in this most noble profession, and work in solidarity to build on that progress to make the teaching profession better.

May God bless our teachers and our nation.

Priya Manickchand
Minister of Education