Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton today blasted the Government over the signed agreement for teachers, which will see teachers receiving a 10% increase on their salaries this year, along with an 8% increase next year and a 9% increase in 2026.
Mr. Norton said the Government has offered teachers less, when it has more money at its disposal that could see teachers and other public servants being paid a more livable wage.
He described the 10% increase for teacher’s as ridiculous, disrespectful, vindictive and a reflection of the disdain that the regime has for teachers and other public officials.
“How is it you can rationalize not giving teachers a livelable wage at a time when you have oil money, at a time when the education system is declining, how could you rationalize giving teachers 10%?” Norton questioned.
Norton recalled that the PPP when in Opposition had called for teachers to be paid a 50% increase even without the country earning oil money.
With the country now raking in billions in oil revenue, the Opposition Leader said the PPP should live up to the expectations it had a few years ago.
“When one notes that the so-called package delivers little or nothing to teachers and is a mere smoke screen for concealing the fact that the government is unprepared to treat teachers fairly. When it is recognised that the infrastructure budget is $666B and the main fund for PPP corruption, then it is obvious that the PPP is deliberately impoverishing our teachers and have no interest in improving the quality of their lives,” the Opposition Leader said.
According to Norton the Government’s insistence that it cannot at this time afford a higher salary package for teachers is dishonest.
He said the mere reduction in corruption and waste in infrastructure projects can release at least $50 billion which can provide more than a 35% increase.
Norton said the government continues to boast of constructing a number of schools, while failing to realize that the building is only one part of the equation.
“But schools in themselves cannot deliver quality education, it is the human resource that is critical, the teachers, the support staff but the government is depriving them of resources. So, the very approach of the government suggest that they have no interest improving quality of education,” the Opposition Leader stated.
Norton said an APNU+AFC Government would pay teachers and public servants much better. He said should the coalition form the next government, public servants and teachers can look forward to a salary increase of no less than 35%.
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