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The Ministry of Education in a recent statement outlined what is included in the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed with the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) on August 20, 2024. These are herein outlined:-
- Salary increases: For the next three years this reflects a 10% increase in 2024, followed by an 8% increase in 2025, and a 9% increase in 2026. The percentages may be adjusted if public servants receive a higher rate during these years.
- Remote Area Incentive (RAI): monthly allowance for teachers in the remote areas moved from $20,000 to $23,000.
- Qualification allowance– teachers with doctoral degrees will see their monthly allowance rise from $30,000 to $32,00 Those with master’s degrees moved from $20,000 to $22,000. Educators holding postgraduate diplomas, advanced graduate diplomas, and certificates in education will also see their monthly allowances increased to $7,000 and $5,000 respectively. Teachers who have completed the Certificate in Education Management Course will now receive a monthly allowance of $5,000 for the first time.
- Station allowance: $5000 compensation for eligible teachers working in particular locations.
- Clothing allowance: increased from $8,000 to $15,000. $15,000 yearly per teacher for uniform allowance when compared to each student who gets $45,000 cash grant for the year shows vast disparity.
- Duty-free concessions: moved from 100 teachers annually to 150. Teachers holding a substantive appointment as a Senior Master/Mistress or above within three years of retirement, who have not previously benefited from a concession, are now entitled to a duty-free concession for motor cars up to 1500cc. Hinterland and riverine teachers are eligible for concessions on outboard engines and ATVs.
- Annual scholarships: moved from 50 teachers to 100 to study at the state-owned University of Guyana or through the government-sponsored Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL). This is not a benefit, it is a constitutionally protected right for persons pursuing education at state-owned education institution. Article 27 in the Constitution of Guyana guarantees the right to free education from nursery to university. The PPP government took away this right in 1994.
- Hiring retired teachers: Teachers reemployed after retirement will now be paid at their last salary scale before retirement. The agreement failed to state if local teachers are guaranteed preference over teachers the government plans to import from Bangladesh and elsewhere.
- Compensation for marking papers and supervising SBAs and exams: teachers will be paid $1500 for marking and supervising SBAs and the National Grades 5 & 6 Mock Exams. The sum is negligible.
- Increment payment: Non-graduate teachers (TS 1A to TS 5B) will receive two additional increments after three years of continuous service. This is a restoration of the wage/salary band system where payment increase reflected years of service but was taken away by the PPP government.
The Ministry of Education said it remains committed to continuous dialogue and partnership with the teaching fraternity to ensure sustained progress and development in the education sector. The ministry also announced the MoA reflects government’s commitment to ensuring public school teachers are supported and rewarded for their invaluable contributions to the children’s education and nation’s development.
The MoA, whilst celebrated by the government and some in the GTU leadership, critical review reveals several deficiencies, among which include failing to negotiate the reinstatement of the check-off system as ordered by the Court on April 19, 2024.
