Rectors reject idea to pay teachers’ salaries from HE funds

Rectors at Estonia’s public universities condemned a suggestion to redirect money earmarked for higher education to raise teachers’ salaries, calling it “unacceptable”, reports ERR.

On Thursday 18 January, the government failed to reach an agreement about funding an additional €10 million (US$10.9 million) to raise teachers’ salaries. Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Estonian Reform Party) said the money must come from the Ministry of Education and Research’s own budget and nowhere else. Minister of Education Kristina Kallas (Eesti 200 party) said this will mean cuts to the higher education budget.

University of Tartu Rector Toomas Asser said cutting funding for higher education and research is illogical as they have already been underfunded for a long time. Tiit Land, rector of Tallinn University of Technology, told ERR: “Strange ideas from the government. Cutting money for higher education and research would take us back to years ago, when we demanded extra funding for universities.”
Full report on the ERR site