TALLINN - The Estonian minister of education has promised to increase wages for teachers despite the country's economic problems.
Teachers' salary will rise 8 percent next year, TonisLukas told the daily Eesti Paevaleht in an interview.
"I'llpropose to the government to raise minimum salaries ofteachers by 8 percent, which exceeds the average wage growthforecast of the Finance Ministry. In addition to an increasein structural fund financing out of European taxpayers'pocket, teachers' pay rise is the only growing spendingarticle in the Education Ministry," Lukas told the paper.
"Theagreement reached (on the budget) is good, spending andrevenue is balanced, and the final expenditure assignment isthe best that can be achieved in Estonia. I can be satisfiedwith the solution," the minister said
