Estonia: Tallinn teaching staff granted salary increase

  • 2019-02-08
  • BNS/TBT Staff

TALLINN - Pursuant to a regulation by the Tallinn city government, an increase in minimum monthly salaries of employees of agencies governed by the Tallinn education department is to be applied retroactively since January 1, 2019.

Tallinn Deputy Mayor Vadim Belobrovtsev said the city considers it important that the work of teachers be fairly remunerated.

"We wish for Tallinn schools to remain an attractive and trustworthy employer to educators," Belobrovtsev said. "We entrust teachers with our children daily and hope [the children] will return from schools or nursery schools in a good mood, filled with positive emotions and new knowledge. This objective can be reached by teachers who love children and are committed to their work. These teachers need to be cherished and appreciated. Supportive learning environment is important, too, the creation of which largely lies with the school principals."

On January 17, the Tallinn deputy mayor, representatives of the Tallinn School Heads Association, Tallinn Primary School Heads Association, Tallinn Hobby School Heads Association and the chair of Tallinn Education Personnel Union discussed the minimum monthly wages of employees of the agencies governed by the Tallinn education department and reached an agreement on the basis of the 2019 state budget. The minimum monthly wage of a teacher and a support specialists in a general education school and vocational education schools is to be 1,250 euros.

Performing the tasks of class teacher is remunerated with 130 euros per month in basic schools and 100 euros per month in upper secondary schools. The minimum monthly salary of nursery school teachers is increased to 1,150 euros per month, or to 1,250 euros, if the teacher has a master's degree or equivalent qualifications. Teaching assistants's minimum salaries are to rise to 610 euros per month and those of hobby school teachers to 1,150 euros. 

The minimum monthly remuneration of principals of general education schools are to increase as well, to anywhere from 1,800 euros to 2,400 euros, depending on their number of students. Salaries of school principals are covered by the instruments allocated to education subsidies from the state budget.

The regulation will be applied retroactively since January 1.