MEHRD clarifies concerns over new teacher salary expectations

The Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD) has acknowledged the concerns raised by some teachers regarding their relevelled salaries, which were paid on Thursday, 15 May 2025.

MEHRD would like to clarify these concerns and inform all teachers that measures have been taken to ensure the relevelled salary payments are accurate and justified. 

The new salary classification and structure have been applied strictly to teachers who are both eligible and actively serving in the education system. 

Concern teachers and the general public are informed of the following measures taken.

• ECE and School teachers who were not paid at the correct classification level will have their situations rectified in the coming payrolls;
• Teachers who falsified qualifications will be terminated from the teaching service and have their salaries ceased;
• Teachers who have left the teaching profession but were not formally reported to MEHRD’s Teaching Service Division by their respective Education Providers will be treated as having exited the service. Their records will be updated, and salaries ceased;
• Teachers who are deceased or medically unfit to continue teaching will have their names officially removed from payroll records, and payments stopped;
• Phase 2 of the classification and salary reform for instructors serving in Rural Training Centres (RTCs) will commence around June/July 2025, following Cabinet deliberation on the new Solomon Islands TVET Policy. Note that the new TVET policy is being finalised

The new teacher salary structure and classification reform were implemented with effect from 15 May 2025, coinciding with the teachers’ regular fortnightly pay date. 

This reform is based on the new classification and salary structure developed by MEHRD and approved by the Cabinet in October 2024. 

Based on the 2025 Approved Teacher Establishment, a total of 11,797 teachers underwent verification and validation, jointly conducted by MEHRD’s Teaching Service Division and 37 Education Providers, who are the legal employers of teachers. 

The process also included pre-service teachers studying under SIG scholarships at the Solomon Islands National University (SINU) and regional universities. 

Through this process, 11,742 teachers were confirmed as actively teaching in schools operated by the Education Providers. 

Of the 11,742 active teachers and school leaders, 9,022 received their relevelled salaries. This included back pay for eight pay periods, reflecting the Cabinet’s original decision for implementation from 2 February 2025. 

However, due to technical delays in the verification process, requiring input from MEHRD, Education Providers, the Aurion System technical team, and the Ministry of Finance and Treasury (MoFT) Payroll Division, the effective date was revised to 15 May 2025. 

A total of 2,720 teachers were not included in the May 15 salary payment due to the following reasons: 

1. Temporarily Held Positions (1,127 teachers): These teachers are on “cleansed hold” due to discrepancies in posting lists from Education Providers. 
2. ECE Teachers (881 teachers): Early Childhood Education teachers were not covered under the current structure. Some were reassigned to Primary Preparation Year (PPY) classes following MEHRD’s 2023–2024 restructuring. Under the Education Act 2023, ECE is formalized as a two-year pre-primary program for 3- and 4-year-olds (ECE Centre Levels 1 and 2), followed by PPY at age 5. 
3. Outside Salary Range (315 teachers): These include teachers currently ineligible under the reclassification, particularly those in Level 2 to 4.9 (primary) and Level 5 (secondary). 
4. Inactive or Fraudulent Cases (452 teachers): This group includes: 
   • Teachers no longer known by their Education Providers but still on payroll; 
   • Deceased, retired, or medically unfit teachers who continue to receive salaries; 

• Teachers who have moved to other sectors without formal notification; 
• Individuals found to have submitted forged qualifications. 
• The financial loss due to such ‘ghost’ teachers is estimated at $23 million. 

The current classification and salary structure covers ECE, primary, and secondary teachers only. Hence, priority is given to these teachers. 

This is because the structure is based on the legal framework of the Education Act 2023, which excludes Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions or commonly known in the country as Rural Training Centres. 

MEHRD plans to commence Phase 2 of the salary reform—targeting TVET instructors—following the anticipated Cabinet approval of the new TVET Policy around June or July 2025. 

The project will involve cleansing and verifying data for approximately 397 instructors from over 50 registered Rural Training Centres (RTCs). 

Teachers currently on “cleansed hold” have been identified for placement but must be officially assigned to vacancies by their respective Education Providers before salary payments resume. 

For further information, please contact the Permanent Secretary’s Office/MEHRD Communication Unit. 

The Ministry remains committed to ensuring transparent, accountable, and equitable salary processes for all teachers across the country.

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MEHRD statement