Teachers in the Solomon Islands have returned to work after settling their ongoing pay dispute with the government.

It is the first time students have been back in class in two weeks.

After negotiations on Friday with the Solomon Islands National Teachers' Association (SINTA), the Ministry of Education agreed to meet the striking teachers' demand for outstanding back pay.

SINTA's general secretary Walter Tesuatai said many of the issues that led to the strike action have been resolved.

"I would not want to say that we have achieved everything, that we have won the battle here because we will wait and see the implementation part of it," he said.

"But principally the government has done the right thing in recognizing the struggle that SINTA had taken up on behalf of teachers until now."

The union says the agreement will raise teachers' pay "one level", which was at the centre of the dispute.

Meanwhile, the government has launched an inquiry into so-called "ghost teachers", who are listed on the government payroll.

The Ministry of Education believes there are more than 500 teachers on the payroll who do not exist, with other teachers using more than one name and separate bank accounts.