The government adopted amendments to the regulations governing teachers’ remuneration, which, among other changes, introduce timely notification of teachers about their salaries for the upcoming academic year, ensure payment for all actually substituted lessons, and introduce limits on the salaries of school leaders.
From now on, school administrators will be required to inform teachers in writing about their planned salary and workload no later than one month before the start of the school year.
This requirement complements the existing provision in the Labour Law, which stipulates that employees must be notified at least one month in advance of any changes to their working conditions. The State Audit Office had found that only a portion of school administrators currently provide such notifications within the required timeframe.
The amendments also stipulate that teachers must be paid for all actually substituted lessons, including other pedagogical duties such as lesson preparation or grading, even if the substitution lasts less than one month. If a teacher’s absence or a vacant teaching position continues for more than one month, the procedure for calculating payment remains unchanged.
Additionally, the organization and
remuneration of extra pedagogical work by school directors, deputy directors, and other educational staff has been revised.
Until now, the regulations allowed up to seven hours of extra teaching per week with separate compensation. However, the State Audit Office determined that this practice does not comply with the Labour Law and poses a risk of teacher overload.
Currently, data from the State Education Information System shows that only 3.8% of teachers work hours that exceed the standard workload—this includes school heads and their deputies.
Starting from September 2027, these additional duties will be included within the standard working hours, ensuring that working time does not exceed 40 hours per week and that any overtime is compensated according to the law, according to the Ministry of Education and Science (MES). School management and their founders will have to adapt to the new requirements and assess the usefulness of roles such as deputies, methodologists, sports coordinators, and school librarians in the operation of the institution.
It is also stipulated that school directors’ salaries may exceed no more than 60% above the base monthly salary rate. This restriction will not apply to educational institutions under the Ministry of Defence, as their salaries are funded from the ministry’s budget.
The MES points to instances where in ten educational institutions—mainly private and distance learning schools—the director’s salary exceeded the 60% threshold. In two of these, salaries exceeded even 166% of the minimum set wage, which, in the ministry’s view, is disproportionate compared to state-funded institutions.
The amendments to the teacher remuneration regulations also include technical clarifications.
According to the MES, the adopted amendments will ensure a “systemic and equitable” approach to determining teacher salaries. However, several education sector organizations have not supported the changes, expressing concerns about filling vacancies. Municipalities argue that timely notification of salary and workload changes will only be feasible after the implementation of the new “Program in School” funding model, since it is not possible under the current “money follows the student” model.
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