Teachers’ pay to increase twice in 2017
Teachers’ salaries are set to rise twice next year, once in January, when teachers’ minimum salaries will be raised to €1,000 and the average to €1,200, and again in September, when the new minimum of €1,050 and the new average of €1,260 enter into effect.
The salary increase is planned for teachers at general educational schools as well as for those working at vocational schools.
Minister of Education and Research Mailis Reps (Center) said on Friday that if the goal was to increase those salaries at a realistic speed, the measure couldn’t wait until 2018. The double increase would make it possible to raise teachers’ pay by some 10% already next year.
“The pay raise for teachers has to be decidedly faster than that of the Estonian average salary, because well-paid and motivated teachers are the basis of a good education,” Reps said.
The government also intends to support the quick increase of kindergarten teachers’ salaries. They were a key element in a quality basic education, and the government would work on principles to grant municipalities and kindergartens additional funding, Reps announced.
The minimum salary for teachers currently in effect is €958. The minimum salary is a state guarantee, by law no full-time teacher can be paid less.
Subsidiaries for municipalities and private schools coming out of the state budget allows them to top up teachers’ wages by about 20%. Most municipalities also support those salaries out of their own means.
Municipalities and private schools receive educational support payments from the state on an equal basis, more than 80% of which is made up by salary increases paid to teachers.
Editor: Editor: Dario Cavegn
