A major SBD$64 million budget is behind the successful rollout of the new Teachers’ Pay Structure and Classification, officially launched today by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD).
According to a statement from the Ministry, this marks a significant step in the ongoing implementation of the Education Act 2023, which aligns with the Government of National Unity and Transformation (GNUT) policy of education.
A total of 9,022 teachers have now been re-leveled under the new system, which provides a fairer and more consistent pay structure based on position and responsibility.
The Ministry stated the reform “reinforces the Solomon Islands Government’s commitment to upholding the teaching profession with dignity and fairness.”
Teachers will receive their salaries based on the new structure starting 15 May 2025, with backpay calculated from 2 February 2025. A 3% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) is also included, and according to MEHRD, “the Ministry of Finance and Treasury will inform us the actual date when the COLA would be paid to teachers.”
The reform is the result of collaborative work between MEHRD’s Teaching Service Division, EMIS team, and the Aurion payroll system managed by MoFT and the Ministry of Public Service.
The Ministry also noted that the “re-levelling of teachers’ salaries… essentially represents a salary increase for teachers.”
MEHRD also confirmed that the new salary structure “operates independently of the Public Service Unified Pay Structure and applies to all school-based teachers at both the primary and secondary levels.”
Teachers in Rural Training Centres (RTC) and ECE centres are not yet included, but will be addressed in Phase 2 of the project.
Permanent Secretary Dr. Franco Rodie stated “Integration into the new structure will be addressed in Phase 2, which will be the next project undertaken by MEHRD in preparation for implementation, ideally in 2026.”
He added that, “MEHRD is in the process of finalizing a TVET policy aimed at modernizing the TVET system in the country, with plans for implementation around June/July 2025.”
For ECE teachers, the Ministry said, “New ECE teachers who may have joined ECE centres in 2025 but are not yet registered with MEHRD may be paid according to the previous ECE wage level, provided they register as ECE teachers with MEHRD.”
ECE teachers already reassigned to teach 5-year-olds in Primary Preparation Year (PPY) classes are “expected to receive the new pay structure,” according to MEHRD.
Meanwhile, Dr. Rodie acknowledged that the reform was long overdue and involved “reviewing and replacing the Teaching Service Handbook (2011) with new Administrative Instructions,” alongside international benchmarking and technical support.
He thanked the Governments of Solomon Islands, Australia, and New Zealand, noting their contribution “through the Education Sector Support Program for the financial and technical assistance rendered to the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development to make the Teacher Salary Relevelling project a reality.”