Qualifications should not outweigh decades of teaching experience – APNU

Jul 05, 2026 News

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(Kaieteur News) – A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) is calling on the Ministry of Education (MoE) to urgently review its new promotion points system, arguing that academic qualifications should not be weighted so heavily that they diminish decades of classroom experience.

Responding to teachers’ concerns over the recently released preliminary promotions list, Member of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul said APNU supports teachers improving their academic qualifications. However, he argued that the new system unfairly reduces the value of long service and places experienced teachers, particularly those nearing retirement, at a serious disadvantage.

“When a newly implemented system deprives deserving teachers of opportunities for promotion, there is a lack of equity. Good public policy should not create winners and losers. It should produce fair outcomes for everyone, especially those who have devoted decades of service under a different set of expectations,” Mahipaul said.

He noted that the MoE has replaced the previous promotion system, which gave significant recognition to years of trained service while also awarding points for academic qualifications. Under the former system, teachers received two points for every year of service, in addition to points for qualifications.

Concerns over consultation with GTU

Mahipaul also criticised the process by which the change was made, saying the MoE acted unilaterally. He said that, for decades, the customary approach was for the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) and the MoE to meet and agree on promotion criteria.

According to the MP, the GTU was not involved in the decision-making process for the new system and has objected to its immediate implementation.

Mahipaul described the change as unjust, saying it was introduced through instructions to the Teaching Service Commission at a time when the education sector is already under strain. Under the new system, teachers receive only one point for every five years of service, while academic qualifications attract substantially higher scores.

He said a Bachelor’s degree is worth 14 points, Education Management eight points, a Graduate Diploma six points, an Advanced Graduate Diploma 10 points, a Master’s degree 15 points, and a PhD 18 points. “A single Bachelor’s degree is now worth more than 70 years of classroom service. A PhD is worth more than 90 years of service,” he explained.

Mahipaul questioned why a PhD, which he described as primarily a research qualification, receives the highest number of points in a system intended to determine who is best suited for senior positions in schools.

He stressed that APNU is not arguing against rewarding higher qualifications. Rather, the party questions whether qualifications should outweigh decades of proven classroom experience.

“The message being sent is unmistakable. Experience counts for very little. That is the unavoidable conclusion when five years of service earn only one point. Yet experience is where teachers develop judgment, leadership, classroom management skills, and the practical wisdom that no textbook can teach,” he added.

Mahipaul said the restoration of free tertiary education has made higher qualifications more accessible and should be welcomed. However, he argued that today’s opportunities should not become a penalty for teachers who served during periods when such opportunities were more limited.

“The greatest injustice falls on teachers approaching retirement. Many depend on promotions not only as recognition for years of dedicated service but also because those promotions affect their gratuity and retirement benefits. For them, this is not simply about status. It is about financial security after a lifetime of service,” he said.

He also rejected suggestions that experienced teachers should simply return to school late in their careers. “What does that advice mean to someone who has already given 30 or 35 years to the profession and is only a few years away from retirement? They cannot turn back the clock. Experience remains the greatest teacher. It transforms mistakes into wisdom, challenges into resilience, and knowledge into effective practice,” he stressed.

The MP clarified that APNU is not opposed to promoting younger teachers or rewarding academic achievement. He said younger educators are the future of the profession and should always be encouraged to pursue higher education.

“The issue is balance. Qualifications should complement experience, not replace it. The best school leaders are those who combine both,” Mahipaul said. He added that experienced teachers, mentor younger colleagues, guide new principals, preserve institutional knowledge, and provide stability within schools.

Mahipaul said many teachers planned their careers under the previous promotion system and expected their years of service to carry meaningful weight. He argued that it is fundamentally unfair to change the rules so dramatically when many are close to retirement.

In his view, a reform of this scale should have been introduced gradually, giving teachers enough time to understand and adjust to the new requirements.

Proposal for a fair transition

Mahipaul proposed that teachers close to retirement should either remain under the old system or be allowed to choose whether they are assessed under the old or new criteria.

“At the very least, teachers within a reasonable number of years of retirement should remain under the previous promotion system or be given the choice of being assessed under either system. That would protect the financial expectations they built over decades of service while allowing the new system to apply to those entering the profession or those with sufficient time to prepare,” he said.

Mahipaul said the issue ultimately comes down to balance. Guyana needs teachers who continue to improve their qualifications, but it also needs educators whose decades of experience have made them effective leaders. A promotion system, he said, should recognise both and should never suggest that experience has little or no value.

APNU is calling on the MoE to immediately review the new promotion points system and engage teachers and their representative organisations in meaningful consultation. The party said the goal should be a system that rewards education, respects experience, protects those nearing retirement, and strengthens the quality of education in Guyana.

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• APNU, qualifications, TEACHING EXPERIENCE

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