Education Ministry earmarks EUR 8.6 million to motivate young teachers to stay in profession

RIGA - The Education and Science Ministry has earmarked EUR 8.6 million worth of funding that will be used to motivate young teachers to stay in profession, the ministry's official Dmitrijs Stepanovs told members of the Higher Education, Science and Human Capital Subcommittee of the Saeima Education, Culture and Science Committee.

He indicated that the program is being planned for the first time in 2023 and that it will be implemented also over two following years because Latvia's schools are short of teaching staff.

According to the Education and Science Ministry's data, 70 teachers learn their profession for money, with the state paying tuition only for 30 percent of education students. Those who pay their tuition themselves, combine studies and work at school.

According to Stepanovs, the greatest problem is that after three years of work at school, teachers tend to quit their jobs, which is why it is necessary to provide the teachers with mentors' support, reduce their workload and ensure salaries that would motivate the young people to keep working as teachers. 

The Education and Science Ministry plans to pay education students larger scholarships to motivate them to choose the profession of teacher.