Teaching Career Opportunities – What has Estonia done to retain people in the teaching profession?

Contribution by Mr Hans KASPER KIVILO, Department of Crafts and Vocational Education, Tallinn Pedagogical University, Estonia

Current situation

  • Age distribution of VET teachers

Large number of VET teachers is relatively old – 43 % are already 50 years or older; and 21% is already at the age of retirement. It has been difficult to attract young personnel to VET school teaching profession.

  • Qualification levels

The educational level of VET teachers has been a topic of several debates over the recent years. The goal has been set to have all VET teachers with good professional experience, higher education and with pedagogical training. About 30 % of VET teachers did not have a higher education in academic year 2000-01 and about 40 % did not have pedagogical education. Amongst those who did not fit under the qualification requirements, were mostly teachers with post-secondary technical education, who, as a rule, have good speciality related background and practical skills.

  • Social status and salary levels

Teaching is generally not considered an attractive profession – one of the reasons of an aging population of teachers. Not many young specialists want to pursue a career of a VET teacher whose salary level and social status is lower than that of a specialist whilst education requirements are much higher.

At the same time teaching is one of the steadiest positions guaranteeing stable income. Thus in rural areas and areas with higher unemployment rate a teaching job is more attractive and teachers who have arrived at retirement age are not so eager to leave.

According to government regulation, a minimum salary level has been set to different ranks of teaching positions –it is not allowed to pay less. The head of the school has the right to increase the salary of teachers and pay according to the results, but he has to stick to the annual budget of course.

The salary level of the teachers with post-secondary technical education is two levels lower than the salary level of the teacher who has the same rank and higher education.

The average salary VET school teachers in 2001 was approximately 16% lower than the overall average salary in Estonia.

Steps taken

  • Changes in legislation

The qualification requirements of 1998 stipulated that all the VET schools’ teachers and directors had to have higher education by 1 September 2003. Even though many teachers who did not meet those requirements started to acquire higher education, it was quite unrealistic to train all of them. So in order to keep good teachers at schools, the legislation had to be changed. This did cause severe debates, but the new change was made in August 2002. Not only did it change the deadline (from 2003 to 2007), but also made the post-secondary technical education a possibility again. This change was concerning about 30% of teachers and in effect meant keeping them at schools.

  • Training possibilities

- State financed training places to acquire higher and/or pedagogical training have been increased, especially for those teachers already working at schools.

- A flexible system is being worked out at the ministerial level which would take into account all different trainings and experiences on the way to acquiring higher education.

- New curricula have been worked out for teacher training.

- School management has been trained (and replaced).

- Vocational year for new teachers has been introduced.

- Further training possibilities

  • Changes in salary level

Teachers’ salaries have been steadily increasing over the recent years, although not reaching the average salary level. In 2002 teachers’ salary was increased by 15 % which brought it to the average salary level for the first time. Raising teachers’ salaries has been made a clear priority on the ministerial level also for the coming years.

  • PR work to improve the image of VET system in general.

November 2002

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