Lack of teachers: RMA told which teachers Mykolaiv Oblast needs most

There is a shortage of teachers of various subjects in the Mykolaiv region. Educational institutions are most in need of teachers of chemistry, physics and biology.

Alla Velikhovska, the head of the Department of Education and Science of the Mykolaiv RMA, told about this at the briefing, NikVesti writes.

She said that currently about 70% of teachers who were forced to leave due to the Russian invasion and shelling of the region have returned to Mykolaiv Oblast.

«On the one hand, almost all of our teachers have returned. That is, today more than 70% of the teachers who left have not returned. At the same time, we have a certain shortage in the specialty. Well, for example, we traditionally lack chemistry teachers. They were simply not prepared in our universities. These are only those who came,» said Alla Velikhovska.

She noted that the number of entrants to physics and mathematics is decreasing every year. A significant factor in the shortage of teachers is the fact that some teachers retire every year, and there are not enough young professionals to replace them.

Also, according to Alla Velikhovska, there is currently a shortage of physical education teachers in the Mykolayiv region. She explained this by the fact that most teachers are men.

«Those who studied went to war. Most of them today are in the ranks of the Armed Forces,» said Alla Velikhovska.

We note that currently, according to the calculations of the Ministry of Education of Ukraine, a teacher without work experience receives a base rate of 6,936.40 hryvnias + allowances (12,906 hryvnias). And a teacher of the highest category — 13,759 hryvnias.

Earlier, the Minister of Education Oksen Lisovyi announced a salary increase for teachers starting in January and April 2024. This should have happened thanks to an increase in the educational subsidy, most of which is aimed at teachers' salaries. However, educators did not receive the announced salary increase.

However, the minister recently said that Ukrainian educators should not expect a salary increase until the end of a full-scale war. He explained this by the difficult situation in the budget.

At the same time, in four months, the average salary of officials increased by 32% and exceeded 50 thousand hryvnias.