The Estonian Central Party supports the right of teachers to strike in order to demand the salary increase promised by the Government of the Republic. The government led by the Reform Party led by Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has failed teachers. To offer a 1.7 percent wage increase as an alternative seems like a mockery.
What Kaja Kallas said at the government’s press conference was particularly cynical, where she linked the teachers’ salary increase with the demand to support the introduction of the car tax. This once again shows the arrogant and distant attitude of the prime minister. Kaja Kallas made it clear with her cheeky retort, where she emphasized the recent salary increase for teachers, the effect of which, as is known, was offset by extremely high inflation, that “it will work for you”. The Center Party calls on the government to fulfill its promises instead of moral reading and confrontation.
Before this year, teachers’ salary increases were irregular and modest. The minimum salary for teachers was indeed increased by 24 percent last time, but that does not mean that teachers can now be reminded of it for several years in a row. So how long do teachers have to dream of the next decent pay rise?
Until the state prioritizes investments in education, it is not fair to set high expectations for our education system and teachers. Currently, it is not possible to pay teachers a competitive salary from the state education grant. Instead of searching for pedagogues with matches, there must be competition for the teaching profession. An educated nation is one of the foundations of society and an independent country, and the grateful work of teachers is reflected in the wider country.
The government’s messages to education workers are unfortunate and raise the question of the coalition’s sincerity in talking about education as a priority and ensuring high-quality education. Instead of finding solutions and understanding, the background is given by statements that try to ridicule or even deny the right of teachers to strike.
The Ministry of Education’s finger-wagging about the illegality of the strike or Prime Minister Kaja Kallas’ admonition that teachers should look at their salary numbers before striking clearly show that the government has no understanding of teachers’ work, the current situation and the possible future.
There is a shortage of teachers in the education system, which is a growing problem over time. A problem that sets the tone not only in the classroom, but also later in working life and in the Estonian economy more generally. The workload of teachers is not in proportion to their salary, which is why many qualified teachers leave their jobs. The average age of teachers keeps increasing, young teachers are not coming to schools and every fifth teacher does not have the required qualifications
We expect major reforms in education to keep up with the needs of the modern labor market and ensure consistent economic growth. The state, parents, and future employers of schoolchildren expect more and more from teachers, while teaching is only part of the actual workload. However, the responsibility of teachers towards our youth and future is not evaluated in the form of a salary figure or even in words. The Center Party supports the right of teachers to receive clear messages from the government and to keep promises. We support the right of educational workers to make their voices heard and call on the government to cooperate constructively in order to find a solution that satisfies the parties and moves Estonia forward. Estonia can do without Kaja Kallas, unfortunately not without teachers!
