The Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD) would like to inform education providers and school teachers across the country that the implementation of the new teachers’ salary classification and pay has been extended to the end of May 2025, with a target of 15 May 2025.
The delay is due to technical challenges encountered in collecting teacher data from education providers and in the verification and validation processes.
Initially, the new teachers’ salary classification and pay were scheduled for implementation on 6 April 2025. However, proceeding with this date posed a significant risk to the stability of the Aurion Payroll System when integrating the restructured teacher salaries. This risk extended to the entire public service payroll. Therefore, as advised by the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, there is a need to cleanse and properly align existing teacher payroll data before implementation.
Permanent Secretary Dr. Franco Rodie clarified that the delay is not due to cash flow or financial difficulties, as some people have suggested, but rather to delays in receiving teacher data from education providers.
This issue has been further complicated by the need to verify and validate teacher data from the MEHRD Education Management and Information System (EMIS) before transferring it to the Aurion System—a process that is technical in nature. Access to the Aurion System is managed by the Ministry of Finance and Treasury (MoFT) and the Ministry of Public Service.
Dr. Rodie stated that the delay was expected due to the slow submission of teacher profiles by education providers under their respective jurisdictions.
Additionally, he confirmed that teachers are entitled to receive their 3% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) payment. There is also a provision for backdated payments for both the revised teacher salaries under the new pay structure and the COLA adjustment, following the delay in processing.
Dr. Rodie emphasized that there is no contention or dispute regarding the payment of teacher salaries under the newly approved structure and classification.
He further confirmed that the Cabinet has approved the new salary structure and classification for teachers (in 2024 and that there is budget available to execute the new teacher structure and classification.
The MEHRD senior management team has issued a circular to all education providers and the Solomon Islands National Teachers Association (SINTA), ensuring that they communicate the reasons for the delay to their teachers.
