The education authorities report that there is a shortage of 22 thousand teachers – the same as under Minister Przemysław Czarnek. The 30 percent raises from Prime Minister Donald Tusk have not changed the situation on this market. Questions arise, therefore, as to why the problem persists.
Mrs. Elżbieta, although she has vacations from school, still works. The school principal looks after children at summer camps, because she earns extra money. According to a survey in “Głos Nauczycielski”, 15 percent of teachers do the same. In turn, in another survey, every eighth teacher declares that they have dropped out of school.
The author of the Dealerzy Wiedzy website is counting the vacancies again. Education offices in Poland offered over 22 thousand jobs today. However, he is reassuring the Minister of Education. – The 30 percent pay rises have clearly contributed to fewer teachers leaving. Today is the so-called transfer window, so I will be very happy to talk about vacancies when teachers and school principals decide who teaches in which school and to what extent – comments Barbara Nowacka.
– Similar words were certainly uttered a year ago by Minister Czarnek. It was possible to finalize the organizational sheets only because teachers took a very large number of overtime hours, and retirees returned to work – says Robert Górniak, deputy director of the Private School Complex “Your Future” in Sosnowiec and author of the Dealerzy Wiedzy website.
Ms. Magdalena, the principal of the Krakow primary school, has two weeks left to find two teachers for the first grades. Others are looking for mathematicians, psychologists, English teachers. – Each of us principals does not sleep at night to be ready. At the moment I have two vacancies in the subjects that I need – says Magdalena Mazur, principal of Primary School No. 12 in Krakow.
MEN will finance school trips. Teachers still have a demand: what about overtime?Adrianna Otręba/Fakty TVN
Why is there still a problem?
– It started very well – with the exchange of curators. It started with really big pay rises, but these are still conditions that are not good for creative teachers to stay in this profession – comments Teacher of the Year 2021 Dariusz Martynowicz.
The pay rises started from a low level. A thousand złoty more, when you were earning four, does not help the situation. Teachers would like to link their pay to the national average – to provide a plan for further pay rises, which would attract the best to the boards.
– Everyone has a teacher they hated. Each of us has encountered someone who was simply not suited to the profession. And we should do everything to ensure that such encounters do not occur again, and then we will completely renew our education, focusing on competent people – says Dr. Karol Dudek-Różycki, chairman of the Polish Association of Science Teachers.
Working conditions are also a deterrent from schools. – How is he supposed to properly care for a child with a certificate, with an opinion, a gifted child and a child of another nationality? – asks Urszula Woźniak from the Polish Teachers' Union.
Finding a way to deal with overcrowded classes and fatigue – teachers suggest a solution to the task. – Taking care of the mental and psychological health of teachers and mentoring support – says Dariusz Martynowicz.
Main image source: TVN24