Guyana: Education union urges government to go public and fund education
On International Day of Education, January 24th, the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) launched Education International's (EI) Go Public! Fund Education campaign in their country. They are calling on their government to guarantee labour rights and ensure good working conditions, as well as manageable workloads and competitive salaries for teachers and education workers. They reaffirmed the importance of valuing teachers, respecting teachers, ensuring they are central to decision-making, and trusting their pedagogical expertise.
Need for increased governmental investment in public education and educators
In Guyana, the campaign was launched during a workshop held on January 23rd-24th. The event was hosted by GTU in collaboration with EI and the Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) and brought together educators, union leaders, and stakeholders to discuss strategies for advocating increased public funding for education. This initiative was facilitated by experienced education advocates from EI and CUT, with the goal of empowering participants with knowledge and tools to promote sustainable education policies in Guyana.
EI’s Go Public! Fund Education is an urgent call for governments to invest in public education, a fundamental human right and public good, and to invest more in teachers, the single most important factor in achieving quality education.
Among key topics, the workshop addressed:
1. Understanding the importance of public funding in education. Participants gained a deeper appreciation of the critical role public funding plays in ensuring quality education for all. Discussions highlighted how inadequate investment in education undermines the quality of teaching, learning, and overall national development.
2. Advocacy strategies for education funding. Participants learned how to create compelling narratives to influence decision-makers and drive public support for increased education budgets.
3. Education policy and national development. Participants got insights into the link between education policy and a nation’s socio-economic growth. Examples from the Caribbean region illustrating how robust public education systems contribute to poverty reduction, economic stability, and equity were shared.
4. Building stronger unions. There was a focus on the role of teacher unions in promoting public education and on the importance of solidarity among members, strategic partnerships, and continuous professional development to strengthen the union’s capacity to influence education reforms.
Joining from the workshop the online event organized by EI to present its latest Global Status of Teachers report, GTU Acting President Mariska Williams highlighted the significance of the campaign for educators in Guyana.
“As we celebrate the International Day of Education, as well as the second anniversary of the Go Public! Fund Education campaign, Guyana is more than excited to have been selected to launch the campaign in our country. We are happy that Education International recognized the struggles of teachers globally and has taken the initiative to launch the campaign.”
GTU Acting President Mariska Williams
Referring to the Global Status of Teachers report, she assured that her union will discuss “how we can benefit from it in Guyana. It will be more motivation for us. It will encourage us to go out there and advocate even further for the rights of teachers, also for being better remunerated.”
While her union is engaged in a legal labor and wages battle with the Government, Williams went on sharing a recent union win in court.
“The Government of Guyana’s appeal against GTU failed due to weak legal arguments, breach of their agreements, insufficient supporting evidence and adherence to legal precedents upholding workers’ rights. The GTU’s strong legal representation effectively countered the government’s claim and was able to highlight the government’s bias with their decision to cease to deduct and remit union dues,” she said.
She stressed that this victory was significant for GTU, “as it upheld the teachers’ rights, strengthened the union’s advocacy role, set a legal precedent for labor disputes, boosted educators’ morale, and emphasized governmental accountability in honoring agreements.”
Present at the launch of the Go Public! Fund Education campaign in Guyana, Vern Charles, CUT General Secretary and President of the St. Lucia Teachers' Union, also said that she was “extremely pleased to be here in collaboration with Education International and the Canadian Teachers‘ Federation for the launch of the Go Public! Fund Education campaign in Guyana.”
“We are encouraging our governments in the Caribbean to continue to invest in education, to invest in our teachers. We are promoting this and we will continue to promote quality education in our region and in the world.”
CUT General Secretary Vern Charles
Video of GTU intervention during the EI webinar launching the latest Global Status of Teachers report:
Pushing for the implementation of the United Nations Recommendations on the Teaching Profession
Leaders representing the districts and the leadership of the Guyana Union of Teachers also enthusiastically discussed and acknowledged the importance of urging public authorities to implement the Recommendations of the United Nations on the Teaching Profession. This panel was convened by the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in response to the growing and alarming global teacher shortage.
GTU General Council Representative Alana Fingall stressed: “I see the UN recommendations as a document which addresses core issues being faced by the GTU and all teachers in our beloved country, Guyana. I believe that the Go Public! Fund Education campaign will not only help in rebuilding the GTU, but it will also empower teachers to continue the good fight with all their might. It will also form a platform to attract more teachers to the profession.”
For Randy Mingo, President of GTU Buxton Branch, the workshop, along with the UN recommendations, helped her renew her passion “to fight for the betterment of our teachers and this noble profession. We now have clear and profound objectives to champion the cause of teachers.”
“The Go Public! Fund Education campaign motivated me to work harder and smarter with a purpose. The GTU motto is ‘We mould the nation’. So, elevating the status and dignity of the profession as per the UN recommendations across stakeholders is essential,” Tricia Collins, GTU Branch President and General Council Representative, also underlined.
According to GTU Secretary for South Georgetown Jamaycie Morian, “as a teacher sometimes you feel alone in your daily struggles in and out of the classroom. After reading the UN recommendations, I felt like I met my long-lost sister. As the secretary of my branch, it is now my duty to assure my fellow members we have friends and support all around the world. Let's Go Public!”
Kimone Gentte, President of GTU Central West Branch agreed that “Go Public! Fund Education is empowering. It gives us a voice and teaches us about the importance of strength through unity.”
“The Go Public! Fund Education campaign, along with an understanding of the UN recommendations, has enlightened me on the role the government has to play in the development of education.”
GTU Branch President and alternate as a General Council Representative, Sharon Waldron, also noted. “I have been empowered to stand for our teachers, so that we can improve our education system by better supporting our teachers. And we do not forget the need to eliminate the shortage of teachers in Guyana and the world at large.”
For more information about Go Public! Fund Education worldwide, click here.
