Finance Minister Mart Võrklaev proposed to both the Minister of Education and the government that the money that the Ministry of Education and Research (HTM) did not use for the objectives set in its budget last year could be used to a further salary increase for teachers this year. year.
“In addition to the 24 million euros foreseen for the salary increase of teachers already foreseen for 2024, my proposal to the Minister of Education was to use the money that HTM did not use for the objectives set in its budget for a further 10 million salary increase for teachers this year,” Võrklaev told ERR.
According to him, in 2023, 14 million euros would remain unused in HTM.
“At the same time, HTM has foreseen 14 million for the same activities in the 2024 budget. By changing the budget for 2023, HTM itself stated at the end of last year that this money will not be used for these activities in 2023 or 2024, because these activities would duplicate the activities of the Ministry of Economy and Communications of the planned applied research center. Therefore, it is possible to use for 2024, and probably also for 2023, the remaining money, a total of 28 million, at least this year in part for a further salary increase for teachers,” explained Võrklaev.
Võrklaev believes that a growing problem is also transfers of funds between budget years, which are growing quite rapidly.
“This means that ministries have planned money for their activities, but cannot actually use it, or it is over-planning or activities that do not need to be carried out. In 2022-2023, HTM had 78 million euros of such funds. 2023 -2024 HTM itself knows best about the funds to be transferred, but looking at the trends of recent years, it can be assumed that this amount has increased even more”, Võrklaev said.
“Furthermore, despite repeated discussions in the Council of Ministers, it has become clear that HTM has 11 million euros left unused from the European Union funding period, which will now not go to the field of education, including part of research development money,” Võrklaev said.
Võrklaev once again underlined that the key to the desired wage increase lies above all in education reform. “In the areas where the school network is organised, the average salary of teachers is already equal to or higher than 120% of the average salary”, she added.
An indefinite strike by Estonian school workers began on Monday.
2024-01-22 08:59:00
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