The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration has proactively boosted salary increases for teachers annually. By 2026, Guyana’s public school teachers will benefit from a 57% increase in their salaries, based on the effect of annual increases dating back to 2021.
This would result in an untrained graduate teacher, whose salary in 2020 was $157,443, benefiting from a salary of over $248,000 by 2026 — an increase of over $90,000.
Below are key teaching positions and the increases expected to be incurred by 2026:
2020 salary 2026 salary
Untrained Graduate Teacher 157,433 248,574
Trained Graduate Teacher 175,995 277,882
Graduate Head of Department 210,340 332,110
Graduate HM of a Grade B School 261,843 413,429
Graduate Head of a Sixth Form School 294,913 465,644
The annual increases so far were 7% in 2021, 7% in 2022, and 6.5% in 2023. The compound effect of these increases so far were approximately 22%. With the recent agreement between the government and the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), increases will be granted at 10% this year, 8% in 2025, and 9% in 2026.
The 57% salary increase represents the minimum increase teachers could expect in the period. Given that the government has made various adjustments to allowances, positions on salary scales, and other benefits, many teachers will benefit from increases in excess of 57%.
President Irfaan Ali has explained that the adjustable clause in the agreement with the GTU indicates that teachers can get even higher increases than stated, if the government grants such increases in its annual public service salary revision. This indicates that the government is considering similar or even higher increases for ALL public servants, who therefore could benefit from a similar compound increase of 55-60% over the 2021-2026 period.
The government of Guyana has committed to raising salaries of teachers, nurses and other public servants to levels not unlike those enjoyed in the developed world. The country’s increasing wealth will be used to improve the quality of life of all Guyanese people. (DPI)
