Guyana’s public education system is confronting a substantial staffing crisis with 2,800 vacancies for senior teaching positions, according to Monday’s parliamentary disclosures by Minister of Governance Gail Teixeira. The revelation came during the National Assembly’s Committee of Supply review of the 2026 National Budget allocations for the Teaching Service Commission (TSC).
Minister Teixeira confirmed that the comprehensive list of senior teacher vacancies received initial publication in both Stabroek News and Guyana Chronicle on February 1st, with ongoing advertisements planned to address the critical shortage. The exact number of junior teacher vacancies remains undetermined, pending the Ministry of Education’s assessment of staffing requirements for newly established primary and secondary institutions.
Responding to inquiries from We Invest in Nationhood’s (WIN) representative Tabita Sarabo-Halley, Teixeira emphasized the coordinated approach between the TSC and Education Ministry to achieve optimal balance between teacher supply and demand. She noted that numerous trained educators currently await employment opportunities within the expanding system.
Concurrently, the government has allocated GY$11 million in the 2026 budget for extensive interior renovations of the TSC’s Brickdam office, described by officials as ‘deplorable.’ The rehabilitation project will include reconfiguration of third-floor board rooms, renovation of storage facilities, and repainting of the second floor. This follows last year’s GY$15.4 million expenditure on building improvements, demonstrating continued investment in educational infrastructure amid ongoing teacher recruitment challenges.