As the new academic year approaches, Vilnius “Vytis” Gymnasium is actively searching for a history teacher and a temporary geography educator to fill a maternity leave vacancy, while construction workers continue to finish preparations on site. According to Vilnius “Vytis” Gymnasium Director Jolita Marcinkevičienė, temporary openings present unique hiring hurdles because educators often avoid short-term positions.
Teacher Shortages and Recruitment Strategies at Vilnius Schools
Director Jolita Marcinkevičienė notes that the gymnasium needs additional staff due to a projected increase in student enrollment starting in September. Although the school has successfully hired several educators, the broader national teacher shortage leaves administrators vulnerable to competing institutions enticing staff away. To combat this issue, the institution focuses on cultivating its own talent pool by welcoming numerous student teachers. “Chúng tôi accepted a very large number of students into internships, we accepted over 35 students of the 4th course, 3rd course, some of the educators are specifically grown by us,” states Director Jolita Marcinkevičienė. However, she points out that not every intern possesses the necessary aptitude or public speaking skills required for classroom instruction.
National Teacher Demand and Perspectives on Classroom Needs
Across the country, schools are actively seeking nearly 250 teachers according to the education, science and sports deputy minister. Data from the Employment Service indicates that mathematics teachers are in the highest demand with 21 open positions, followed by 14 openings for Lithuanian language instructors and 11 primary school subject teachers. Despite these figures, Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports Jonas Petkevičius maintains a calm stance on the situation. “2025 metais tokiu metu trūko 458 mokytojų, o 2024-aisiais trūko 650. Tai mokytojų trūkumas vis mažėjantis,” asserts Deputy Minister Jonas Petkevičius.
Conversely, Švietimo darbuotojų profesinės sąjungos vadovas Andrius Navickas argues that official vacancy counts do not reveal the entire scope of the problem. “Tos neužimtos laisvos darbo vietos, ar du, ar keturi, ar šeši šimtai, iš esmės jos nieko neparodot. Pagrindinį trūkumą dengia mokytojai dirbdami virškrūvius, dirbdami pusantro etato, kai kur ir dviem etatais. Tas trūkumas dažnai užslėptas,” explains Andrius Navickas. Even if schools cannot fill open positions, Deputy Minister Jonas Petkevičius confirms that lessons will still proceed. Andrius Navickas cautions that the true extent of the shortage will surface over the longer term once older colleagues no longer shoulder oversized workloads.
Pedagogical Enrollment Trends and Compensation Realities
Švietimo akademijos vicekancleris Mindaugas Nefas outlines the modest enrollment numbers for math and science specializations. "Šiais metais priėmimas į matematikos specializaciją yra šiek tiek suprastėjęs, 10 asmenų pasirašė studijas be papildomo priėmimo. Fizikos vienas, chemijos, bijau pameluot, ar trys, ar keturi, biologijos panašūs skaičiai," details Vice-Chancellor Mindaugas Nefas. Trade union leader Andrius Navickas adds that young teachers quickly discover that classroom reality involves large classes alongside demanding students and parents, frequently compounded by administrative incompetence.
Financial incentives also fail to attract candidates to the profession, with newly arrived teachers anticipating a take-home salary of 1,600 euros. Vice-Chancellor Mindaugas Nefas confirms this baseline figure. Andrius Navickas expresses frustration that authorities have failed to honor prior commitments to set teacher salaries 30 percent higher than the national average. On a brighter note, professional pedagogical studies have experienced a significant surge in interest among individuals seeking career changes. “Į profesines pedagogikos studijas sulaukėme, nepabijokim to žodžio, anšlago, beveik 600 norinčių studijuoti, o vietų buvo skirta nemokamų 130,” highlights Vice-Chancellor Mindaugas Nefas. These career-changers typically hold higher education degrees, complete their training in one to two years, and enter classrooms with elevated motivated.
Did You Know? National employment data reveals that mathematics instruction faces the heaviest recruitment pressure with 21 vacant positions, alongside 14 openings for Lithuanian language instructors and 11 primary school subject openings.
Expert Insight: While institutional officials emphasize declining official vacancy numbers over successive years, union representatives warn that heavy reliance on educator overtime masks a systemic reliance on overworked staff. The influx of motivated career-changers into professional pedagogy programs offers a vital alternative pipeline, yet persistent salary gaps and demanding classroom conditions continue to hinder broad youth recruitment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many open teaching positions remain nationwide?
According to the education, science and sports deputy minister, schools across the country are actively seeking nearly 250 teachers.
Which specific subject areas face the highest demand?
Data from the Employment Service shows that mathematics has the highest demand with 21 open positions, followed by 14 openings for Lithuanian language teachers and 11 primary school subject teachers.
What salary can a newly arrived teacher expect to receive?
According to Education Academy Vice-Chancellor Mindaugas Nefas, an incoming teacher can expect a net monthly salary of 1,600 euros.
What steps do you believe educational institutions should prioritize to attract and retain qualified classroom educators?
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