PARAMARIBO - The unions that represent the nation’s educators on Sunday instructed their members to stay home as of June 1st because the government has failed to keep its word.

The Federation of Organization of Teachers in Suriname (FOLS), and the unions SOB, KOB, COB, BLTO, IOB, BvL, ALS and SO made it clear that the government still has not granted the ‘wishes’ of teachers despite the fact that talks have been going on for quite some time. The government still has not paid teachers the money that they are entitled to receive. The unions pointed out that some educators have been waiting for their money since 2020. Some of these teachers have already gone into retirement without having received their money. The unions also sounded the alarm over the growing exodus of teachers. They explained that teachers are calling it quits to look for better opportunities in foreign countries. This development is putting more pressure on the teachers that have stayed behind and it is also causing the quality of education to deteriorate further. The unions that have united for a common cause explained that by structurally ignoring the needs of the nation’s educators the government has triggered an alarming brain drain which will have serious consequences for the future of the education system in Suriname. They want the union members to stay home until an agreement regarding their demands has been reached.