By Josiah Williams
Under the leadership of the PPP/C government, Guyanese teachers have seen significant improvements in their salaries, amounting to over 15 billion dollars in increases.
Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, the General Secretary of the PPP/C, highlighted the government’s commitment to enhancing the lives of Guyanese citizens, particularly teachers, through both salary and non-salary benefits.
He revealed that the education sector’s budget has seen a remarkable surge, rising from 51 billion dollars in 2020 to 135 billion dollars in the current year, marking a substantial increase of about 162%.
The surge in funding has facilitated various improvements in education, including training initiatives, infrastructure development, and the construction of new schools.
Dr. Jagdeo cited an investment of approximately 5 billion dollars in Region 1 alone for the construction of three schools.
Moreover, there has been a notable increase in the number of teachers, leading to a reduction in the teacher to student ratio to approximately 1:12.
Dr. Jagdeo emphasized that remuneration for teachers has seen significant boosts in recent years, with a substantial increase in the education sector’s wage bill.
From 24.4 billion dollars in 2020, the wage bill grew to 39 billion dollars in 2023, representing a staggering 61.4% increase in salaries for teachers.
Dr. Jagdeo also highlighted the government’s support for teachers and their families beyond salary increments, including access to housing, public infrastructure, and social services.
He noted that the Ministry of Education has made significant strides in addressing the requests put forward by the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), fulfilling 60% of the requests and engaging in discussions regarding the remaining ones.
The strides made in improving teachers’ welfare underscore the government’s commitment to enhancing human development and education in Guyana.