"We have a payday on March 6, but I can't pay the bonus because the ministry hasn't transferred the money," Svetlana Vladimirova, principal of Kohtla-Järve Slavonic Basic School (Slaavi Põhikool), told Põhjarannik.

According to Vladimirova, the reason for the delay is that the ministry has asked for additional information. Kohtla-Järve Slavonic Basic School for instance, submitted documentary confirmation of an employee's master's degree in Estonian, but were then also asked to provide confirmation of the same teacher's bachelor's degree.

Maria Laanemäe, education counselor for Jõhvi Municipality confirmed that the delay was due to data verification, as the details in the Estonian Education Information System (EHIS) and the online environment used for the application do not always match.

"School principals have been informed that it will take time for the data to be verified and that teachers will receive the money in full at a later date," Laanemäe said.

Põhjarannik reported that it was unable to receive a comment on the issue from the Ministry of Education and Research by the end of the working day on Monday.

At around 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Anne Endjärv, head of language policy in the field of general and vocational education at the Ministry of Education and Research, said that the pay supplements reaching teachers, however, the data needs to be thoroughly checked and often corrections are required.

"Municipalities did not submit correct applications immediately on February 14, 2024, with the necessary data and did not have time to compile all the additional data necessary in time to make the payments in March. The conditions of the regulation also do not allow a new subsidy for 2024 to be applied for before the 2023 annual report has been approved," the ministry said.

Endjärv explained that the ministry needs to check the data received from the municipalities, as both the quality of the input and interpretation of the data entered by educational institutions into the Estonian Education Information System (EHIS) and the Application Processing Information System (APIS) varies widely.

"Unfortunately, salary subsidies have also been applied for by educational staff who, in some way, do not meet the conditions set out in the regulations. Checks are necessary to ensure the consistency and the quality of the data and to ensure that the allowance reaches all those who should receive it and does not reach those who should not," Endjärv explained.

According to the ministry, an assessment of the applications revealed that from a total of nearly 100 new teachers, over 20 did not meet the eligibility criteria as they did not possess the necessary qualifications or level of higher education, did not teach in Estonian or lacked the required Estonian language skills.

"The current situation is that we have repeatedly asked applicants to clarify the details for some of the teachers. What happens next will depend on how quickly the necessary clarifications are forwarded to us. Teachers will receive their pay slips for both February and March, together with their March salary."

Local authorities and private legal persons running educational institutions in Ida-Viru County, as well as those run by the state, were all eligible to apply for the salary subsidy.

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