Abstract

Science and technology play a vital role in the development and advancement of nations. In Guyana, there is a dearth of skilled human capital in these areas. Based on the above, the study looked at the supply and demand of secondary school science teachers in Guyana. It was a survey study. Thirteen schools out of the sixty-six in regions 4 and 6 were used. The research instrument was a designed, validated questionnaire with a product –moment (Pearson) reliability coefficient of 0.76. Thirteen science and science -related subject areas were covered. Respondents were school Heads. Data was also obtained from the Ministry of Education and the Bureau of Statistics. Data were analyzed using mean, percentages and ratios. Results showed that, nationally, the country had a shortfall of 269 science teachers. Only 38% of schools surveyed offered all the three basic science subjects- Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Teacher student ratio ranged from 1: 10 to 1: 35; skewed more to the upper level. Attrition rate of science teachers was an average of 4 per annum compared to 7 per annum for the non-science subjects. Poor salaries, poor conditions of service, absence of science teacher allowance and inadequate teaching facilities were reasons why teachers leave the system. The study recommended, among others, increased production of science teachers with double major (teaching) subjects as an immediate measure in ameliorating the shortage.