Education and Science, Lithuania

The amendments are designed to simplify the structure of the tenure-based pay system and introduce two categories of teachers' activity, including one related to giving classes and preparation for them, and the second one is related to leading a class, activity within the school community and raising qualification.

According to the presidential office, the amendments will create conditions for easier application of the new pay model and will "prevent manipulation with teachers' pay and close the gap between schools of a different level."

The amendments were registered after the president's meeting with representatives of teachers' trade unions and education experts.

One of the trade unions representing teachers has been holding a strike for a fourth week already over the new pay system introduced in September. Several dozen members of the Lithuanian Education Employees Trade Union have also been spending nights inside the Ministry of Education and Science for over a week.

Andrius Navickas, leader of the Lithuanian Education Employees Trade Union, said he was asked by the president to stop the strike. He said the decision on changing the protest form would be made upon receipt of a positive response from the government to their demands, also adding that the trade also wants to get acquainted with the presidential amendments.

Teachers, among other things, demands that their pay coefficients be raised by a fifth. The government says around 300 mln euros would be needed to satisfy all of teachers' demands.