Leave Ranks for Army, Not the Classroom, Says Minister
Minister of Education Jaak Aaviksoo said that only the military needs ranks, and abolishing titles such as "senior" and "specialist" teachers is the right way to go.
“We are of the opinion that, like in most other fields, performance is the indicator of qualification,” the minister said in an interview to Eesti Päevaleht today.
The new bill also proposes to cut a 10 percent salary bonus for homeroom teachers. Aaviksoo said that roughly half of all teachers are homeroom teachers, while the other half will take on the task in the future, adding that being responsible for a class is a basic task of a teacher.
Homeroom teachers' bonuses and teachers' ranks are only two of the debated parts of the proposed new Basic Schools and Upper Secondary Schools Act, which is making its way through Parliament this week in the face of stiff opposition resistance.