The current system for remunerating the teaching staff does not stimulate performance. The teachers are not motivated to improve qualifications, while the managers of general education intuitions play the role of administrator rather than of autonomous director, says a preliminary study carried out by the Estonian consultancy company “Civitta”, which was contracted by the Ministry of Education to work out a new formula for remunerating teaching and managerial staff, IPN reports, quoting the Ministry.

In the first intermediary report, the company’s team leader Kęstutis Jovaišas underlined the necessity of adjusting the education system to the demographic situation and of immediately taking measures to attract young specialists. “Currently, only 10% of the graduates of teacher training education establishments work as teachers or educators. If measures are not taken, the teaching staff of retirement age in 2021 will represent 50% of the total number of teachers working in the education system,” stated Kęstutis Jovaišas.

According to the Estonian expert, the salary depending on the number of taught lessons and the number of years worked in the same place is not sufficiently motivating because it does not take into account the teacher’s performance and professional development. The obtaining of teaching ranks does not change much the situation because the teaching techniques remain practically the same. Also, the financial benefit is too small for justifying the effort made to get a teaching rank. As a result, the teachers do not show great interest, especially those from rural areas.

The experts said the goal is not to have more teachers with ranks, but to build more model personalities for students. Therefore, alternative, but flexible solutions should be implemented to motivate the teachers.

The experts recommend continuing the reform in the education system, optimizing the managerial staff as the principle of ‘one director – one building’ is costly and inefficient, transforming the directors into real leaders of school communities, intensifying the transfer of knowledge between staff and between education institutions, instituting mentorship and employing directors with managerial skills rather than with teaching experience.

A strategic view on the new remuneration system is to be presented in the near future.