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Retired teachers are also saying goodbye to schools in droves. The Ministry of Education, Science and Sports shares gloomy forecasts. In a couple of years, there may be a shortage of nearly 3,000 teachers.
At the beginning of the school holidays, the corridors of Vilnius Duke Gediminas Progymnasium are calm and quiet, but the school principal is not talking about holidays, but about how to find up to four teachers by September 1.
Rimantas Remeika, director of the progymnasium, says: “This year we are looking for primary classes for a speech therapist, a social educator, a special educator and a teacher. This seems to be such a small problem, but it is quite difficult to find teachers in Lithuania, especially good teachers. “
School principals say that, in general, it is difficult to find a school in Lithuania where there is no shortage of teachers. Jurgita Zinkienė, director of St. Christopher’s Progymnasium in the capital, is also looking for an English teacher in the summer: “We really have another candidate, but we are not as abundant as we would like. That is the big problem is the lack of choice. “
According to the Employment Service, the number of empty teacher chairs in the country’s schools in June this year is up to a quarter more than last year.
Inga Balnanosienė, Director of the Employment Service, says: “Currently, more than 200 jobs are offered to teachers in various fields of the Employment Service. Of course, there is a greater need for subject teachers: teachers of Lithuanian, English, information technology, mathematics and, without a doubt, the need and the concentration are in the big cities ”.
Education experts say that some teachers decided to stop working because they were tired of distance learning.
Arvydas Kukanauza, director of the progymnasium, says: “That was the challenge for everyone. The pandemic did not aggravate the emotional or psychological state at all. Some took on the challenge more easily, others a big problem, especially those who have a harder time managing information technology. “
There are other long-standing problems.
Andrius Navickas, president of the union, affirms: “Difficult working conditions, low hourly wages, wages in many cases do not reach the average wage of the country, upper class. Why is there a shortage in Vilnius? Overcrowded classes are probably not easy to work with – 30 kids or more. And when it comes to hybrid distance learning, it further discourages teachers from sticking around, not just making decisions. “
By the way, schools are being abandoned en masse by older educators.
Šiauliai Deputy Mayor Egidijus Elijošius says: “When it was announced that he would receive six severance payments in order to maintain jobs for young specialists, now that movement is still continuing. The older teachers are trying to get out, to get solid solutions. “
For example, in the port city, almost one in ten teachers is of retirement age. Many of them have already taken the opportunity to receive compensation for half a year and will not return to the board in September.
Vida Bubliauskienė, Advisor to the Klaipėda Department of Education, says: “We have just over 1,500 teachers in general education schools in Klaipėda City, 9 percent of them. You are of retirement age. That, if the numbers, would be 133 teachers. And since the fall, 73 teachers already plan to stop working. That is, so to speak, almost half the decision. “
The Minister of Education, Science and Sports is essential. It is said that this can no longer encourage teachers to resign.
The Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Jurgita Šiugždinienė, says: “We have to evaluate the experience and we have to look very carefully in schools and municipalities to see if, as I say, the early retirement of teachers, we will really have something to replace them.. “
The teacher shortage will only grow in the future. It is anticipated that in two years from now there will be a shortage of approximately 2,700 teachers in Lithuanian schools.
English teacher Jurgita Kiškienė says: “In fact, the trend is very sad. The burden is insane and the salaries don’t go up, it’s just about adding more responsibilities. That will be a big problem and will probably be left to those who are more simply committed to their profession. “
Mathematics teacher Vytautas Silvanavičius says: “It was once said that teachers don’t have the opportunity to raise salaries because there are too many teachers. What are we listening to now? We are hearing now that there is a significant shortage of teachers, and that salaries do not increase or increase. “
However, Minister J. Šiugždinienė emphasizes that just increasing teachers’ salaries will not solve the problem: “Our teachers have a very small part of the staff. This is not just a salary issue per se. The common denominator here is that we have teachers who work 0.4 or 0.3 positions – an average of 0.7 teachers work – and even if the salary is increased, they will not have a decent salary because they only work a part of the position. That’s where the system itself should be managed. “
The ministry proposes to increase scholarships for students of the pedagogical specialties that are most lacking in schools. Also, create a mechanism for students to recoup science loans after graduating from pedagogy if they commit to teaching work for at least a few years. Also expand opportunities for existing teachers to earn additional qualifications so they can teach more subjects.
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