Government disburses €353.8 million in education support

The Estonian government decided on Thursday in favor of the allocation of €353.75 million from the support fund to municipalities for the financing of education.
Compared with 2019, the amount of support increased by €12 million, including support for teacher wages increasing by €10 million. A total of €285 million, which accounts for nearly 80 percent of the total size of the support, is meant for teacher salaries, spokespeople for the government said.
As of the beginning of 2020, teachers' minimum monthly salaries increased 5.2 percent from €1,250 to €1,315. This support will enable municipalities to increase the calculated average gross monthly wages of general education teachers from €1,500 to €1,540.
The remainder of the education support is divided as follows: €24 million for school lunches, €20 million for operating costs related to students receiving enhanced or special support, €15 million for labor costs of principals and head teachers, €8 million for learning materials as well as €2 million for continued training.
Drafts concerning the allocation of other support fund assets, such as support for hobby activities, support for the maintenance of local roads as well as for the payment of subsistence benefits will be put before the government for endorsement next month.
-
Download the ERR News app for Android and iOS now and never miss an update!
Editor: Aili Vahtla