–President Ali says
AS part of the government’s ongoing efforts to enhance education in Guyana and align it with international standards, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has announced plans for extensive consultations with teachers aimed at not only addressing salary adjustments but also fostering a holistic improvement in the sector.
“We are also going to have consultations with our teachers. As soon as I return from the U.N., those consultations will commence,” President Ali announced during a news conference at State House on Saturday.
The United Nations General Assembly runs from September 19 to 26 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
During the press conference, President Ali highlighted that these consultations would go beyond the realm of salaries, indicating a more comprehensive approach to enhancing education in the country.
“I don’t know what the teachers would raise with me, but, as you know, I have said before, like we did for the nurses, there will be an adjustment for teachers,” he said.
President Ali expressed his commitment to collaborating with teachers to identify and address various challenges within the education system.
“Whatever the teachers raise with me, we will be working together on finding and looking at the macro; having a macro view of what can be done not only to improve them individually and collectively, but what they can do and how, together, we can strengthen their education system.”
One of the specific areas of concern mentioned by the President was mathematics education.
He disclosed that he had asked the Minister of Education to develop a policy within two weeks to boost Guyana’s performance in mathematics.
This initiative, the President said, would involve active participation from all Guyanese interested in contributing to educational reforms.
President Ali emphasised the transparency and inclusivity of his consultations, stating, “My consultations are public; very open.”
Previously, the Head of State reaffirmed that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is progressively working to address the adjustment of salary scales for teachers, which he said will come at an appropriate time.
The President said that they “are looking at salaries in a holistic way, and in a phased manner.” He added that his government will never walk away from the commitment it has made to teachers.
Last December, President Ali announced that several categories of public servants would get salary increases, and he assured teachers that their increases were guaranteed.
