Suriname government and education unions hold talks on teacher issues

The government of Suriname and several education unions held constructive discussions at the President's Cabinet on September 28, 2026, to address long-standing issues within the education sector.

Participants included President Jennifer Simons and Ministers Dirk Currie (Education, Science, and Culture), Marinus Bee (Interior Affairs), and Adelien Wijnerman (Finance and Planning). The unions represented in the talks were the Federatie van Organisaties van Leerkrachten in Suriname (FOLS), the Bond van Leraren (BvL), the Alliantie voor Leerkrachten in Suriname (ALS), and the Syndicaat voor Onderwijsgevenden in Suriname (SOS).

The meeting focused on reviewing the implementation of an agreement signed in June and identifying remaining bottlenecks regarding teacher positions and working conditions. To expedite solutions, President Simons ordered the establishment of a working group, which will be coordinated by the Ministry of the Interior in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the involved unions.