AFTER weeks of uncertainty, indecisiveness and frustration, the new school year is set to begin on firmer footing. The recent signing of the multi-year agreement between the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) signals forward movement which many parents didn’t believe was possible before September 2 when thousands of learners across the country are scheduled to return to the classroom.
Following the signing, President Dr. Irfaan Ali in a video message made some important points which served as a reminder of the government’s wholehearted commitment to acting in the best interest of teachers, learners and the development of the education sector.

At the core of the GTU-led strike was a demand for better wages and salaries. This was made even though during the period 2021-2023, the government had corrected anomalies in teachers’ salaries across all categories, which resulted in significant upward adjustments, a cumulative increase of 42 per cent over that period. The strike was held even though negotiations were ongoing and 73 per cent of the union’s requests for the teachers during the abovementioned period were delivered by government.

Despite the genuine efforts of the government to respond to the grievances expressed by the union, some in and out of the profession felt that the country’s educators were poorly compensated for their teaching efforts and were deserving of much more. Many maintained this position without considering that teachers are just one category of public servants and it would be unfair to deal with one and not the others. They also failed to recognise the attention government had given to teacher-related issues since it took office in August 2020.

Now that the MoE and the GTU have signed an agreement, a path has been cleared for massive increases in benefits and concessions and an advanced welfare package for all teachers which covers the years 2024, 2025 and 2026.

In keeping with the agreement, over the next three years, teachers will see a direct increase of some 27 per cent to their salaries, which translates to a 10 per cent increase in 2024, eight per cent in 2025 and nine per cent in 2026. If there are higher increases announced for the Public Service, teachers will get the difference between what is in the agreement and that higher number.
This increase in salaries is commendable as billions will go into the pockets of teachers over the next three years.

Further, there are additional increments for various categories of teachers including allowances for those who have completed higher education, station allowances among many other benefits which will no doubt solve many of the grievances that are affecting teachers.

The politically motivated strike-action was not only unnecessary but was deliberately prolonged to the detriment of the nation’s children. Children from vulnerable backgrounds, who rely on school for stability, safety, and a chance to better their lives, felt the brunt of this strike.

Since the signing, there have been no public outcry from teachers or any other education stakeholder. Rather, the agreement has seemingly been accepted in its entirety and many are eager to forget the turmoil, learning loss and the reduction in teacher-learner contact time.

Everyone desires a return to normalcy and a resumption of teaching and teacher-learner contact, which the recently signed agreement guarantees. It is now time for us to move forward and focus on the revolution of the education sector, its modernisation and transformation and the creation of a bright further for the nation’s children.