A 21 percent increase in teachers’ salaries is proposed by the Trade Union “Education” to the Confederation of Labor “Support”, its chairman Dr. Yulian Petrov announced in Veliko Tarnovo. He is visiting the old capital in connection with the holding of the Academy for Educational Leaders, organized by the Trade Union “Education” and the Regional Union “Support” in Veliko Tarnovo.
Dr. Petrov commented that at the moment there is political will from the Ministry of Education and from all the major parties for an increase in teachers’ salaries and the debate is what it should be. The union’s proposal is 21 percent, which would guarantee 125 percent above the average gross wage for the country, and at the end of the year, because now, based on inflation, teachers’ pay is about 110 percent above the average gross wage.
The unionists’ next proposal to all political parties is that teachers should be paid 160 percent above the average gross wage. The request is in connection with the change in the Higher Education Act, according to which academic teachers receive 180 percent above the average gross salary. This will be an open door for young teachers to be retained in the school system with the necessary reforms. Thus, after their selection, the best will remain at work, because very often the principals strive to have teachers, but they do not have the opportunity to choose the best, commented Dr. Petrov, quoted by BTA.
Statistics show that at the beginning of the year, 10 percent of those working in schools are pensioners or of retirement age, the chairman of the “Education” union pointed out. For directors, this indicator was even around 20 percent, but probably after the competitions held since then, it has been halved, he added. This shows that the system currently relies on the pensioners and if they are not there, it will be exposed, explained the trade unionist.
There are quite a few young teachers who entered the system mainly because of the higher salaries, said Dr. Petrov. Teachers under the age of 35 are 15 percent, but they are in constant turnover mode. About 75 percent of those who start working in schools do not last until the first 3 years and go to work somewhere else, which is a big problem for Bulgaria. This should be one of the three main priorities of every state administration and the Ministry of Education, Dr. Petrov believes. According to him, the political decision for teachers to acquire a second category of work will perhaps give rise to the correct answers to these questions. “At this stage, the politicians are not ready for recategorization, but we as a trade union are ready to offer the relevant compensatory mechanisms,” said the trade unionist. He explained that teachers currently have the option of early retirement, but it hurts them somewhat because it takes away a supplement that they have been paying for for years. A proposal has been made to the National Insurance Institute to consider whether those teachers who retire three years earlier should receive it in full or reduced. In this way, they will actually be equated to a second category of work and without it being officially announced according to the general rules, because their pensions will come from the teachers’ pension fund, said Dr. Petrov, specifying that a political decision is also needed for this.
The Academy for Educational Leaders in Veliko Tarnovo was held in two panels. In the first of them, the attendees talked about the policies in the system, about the increase in teacher salaries, as well as about other priorities related to the most important upcoming changes in education and curricula. The second part of the meeting was teamwork training for teachers and principals.