Georgetown, Guyana – September 29, 2025 – Education Minister Sonia Parag has blasted shocking levels of teacher absenteeism in Guyana’s schools, warning that students are being abandoned in classrooms and robbed of their future.
During unannounced visits since the reopening of the new school term, Parag said she uncovered troubling cases of teachers simply not showing up. At one school, 12 teachers have been absent since the start of term. In one class, she found students fast asleep at their desks because no teacher had turned up to conduct lessons.
“This cannot continue,” Parag declared. “If you don’t have teachers in the classroom teaching, then the child doesn’t learn. It’s as simple as that,” she said in an interview with Newsroom.
The Minister stressed that accountability must go beyond physical presence — teachers must also be measured by the quality of their teaching and whether it makes a real impact.
Calling teaching “possibly the most important role in our nation,” Parag appealed directly to educators: “You are moulding the minds of young children into adulthood. I am asking teachers to show up for their children, not just because it’s your job, but because it is one of the most important things you will ever do in your life.”
At the same time, she promised support for teachers willing to step up, saying her ministry is ready to stand firmly behind them in building a stronger education system.
