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International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Friday, 29.03.2024, 10:40

Estonian teacher salaries rose fastest in OECD in 2005-2013

BC, Tallinn, 25.11.2015.Print version
Between 2005 and 2013, teachers' salaries in Estonia underwent the fastest increase in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a fresh OECD study the findings of which were published on Tuesday shows, cites LETA.

During that period, lower and upper secondary teachers' salaries increased by 31% in Estonia. The next biggest increase in OECD countries was registered in Poland, which saw a rise of 22%.

 

Teachers' salaries in 2005-2012
Source: OECD

 

Although the financial crisis meant the rate of growth in Estonia slowed down between 2010 and 2012 compared to the period 2005-2010, it went up again between 2012 and 2013. However, teachers' statutory salaries in Estonia remain among the lowest in OECD and EU 21 countries, or countries that are members of both the EU and the OECD, at all levels of education from pre-primary to upper secondary education.

 

Estonia also has a relatively flat or compressed salary scale with salaries at the top of the scale only 31% higher than the starting salary for teachers in general education programs, well below the OECD average of 60%.

 

Primary and secondary education teachers in Estonia can expect to earn on average about 84% of the salary of a full-time full-year worker with tertiary education. This ratio is comparable to the OECD average for primary teachers, 80%, but below the average for lower secondary general education programs, where it is 86%, and upper secondary general programs, where it is 91%.

 

Pre-primary teachers in Estonia can expect to earn 59% of the salary of a full-time full-year tertiary educated worker, below the OECD average of 78%.

 

The study says that as Estonia will be experiencing a generational turnover in the teaching profession, it faces the challenge of providing competitive salaries for teachers to attract and retain talented professionals.

 

With half its teaching workforce in secondary education aged 50 or more and 19% aged 60 or more, which represents the highest share among OECD and partner countries, Estonia is about to experience a generational turnover in the teaching profession in the coming years.

 

In his remarks at the publication of the findings of the report, Estonia's Minister of Education and Research Jurgen Ligi said Estonia is moving in the right direction and the goal is to make the salary of teachers equal to the average salary of workers with tertiary education. "Competitive salary is a prerequisite for bringing committed young teachers to school and retaining them," the minister said.






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