Ministry finds additional funds to boost teacher minimum salaries
The Ministry of Education had a motion to the third and final parliamentary reading of the state budget to increase the minimum gross monthly salary of a teacher to 900 euros accepted by the Finance Committee.
The change, if approved by Parliament, will mean that a full-time teacher will receive a minimum of 900 euros per month before income tax, meaning a 12.5 percent increase from the minimum teachers salary at the beginning of the current year. The average national monthly salary is a gross amount around 1,000 euros.
The ministry had to find 3.2 million euros from its own budget, with the state also finding an additional 4.5 percent increase to the salary fund.
Minister Jevgeni Ossinovski said teachers' salaries will increase by double the rate as wages on average in Estonia next year.
The budget will head to Parliament for its third and final reading and vote on December 10.