site.btaBulgarian Union of Teachers Chair: BGN 689 Mln Required for Teacher Salaries Increase in 2025 State Budget

No less than BGN 689 million should be provided by the 2025 state budget for increasing the salaries of teachers and non-teaching staff in schools and kindergartens from January 1, 2025, said chair of the Bulgarian Union of Teachers (BUT), part of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB,) Yanka Takeva, during a discussion about the state budget for school education for 2025 on Friday.

"More than BGN 800 million should be provided for the maintenance of schools and kindergartens, which are related to the improvement of the school environment", Takeva added, saying that the budget for secondary education - for schools and kindergartens - should be increased by about BGN 300 million in 2025 compared to the budget for 2024. She elaborated that the Union is currently negotiating with the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Education and Science for securing those funds and that these demands are included in a CITUB memorandum.

Takeva said there was also an understanding within the political parties that the salaries of secondary teachers should not be lower than 125% of the national average gross salary. She added that the Union is demanding an increase to 140% and that political formations should include it in their programmes. "Salaries in higher education institutions have been increased and for there to be equity, and fairness, teachers' salaries must become 140% of the average gross salary," the BUT chair explained.

She expressed her concern of the shortage of teachers in mathematics, biology and chemistry, and of the low number of students, who specialize in these subjects. Takeva noted the difficulty of the subjects, which, in her view, should be an incentive for salary increase.

Takeva pointed out that BUT's current main priorities are related to the state budget and teacher preparation in the higher education system. "We need to change the regulation for the acquisition of teaching qualifications so that the preparation of future teachers is adequate to present and future times", Takeva said.

She said there should be more practical hours, as well as more hours for personalized learning. 

According to Takeva, policies related to curricula and teaching content should also be changed. "It is good that they are being worked on, but it is a very difficult and long process", she noted. 

"The Bulgarian education system must educate students in patriotism, citizenship and responsibility - to the state and to the people", Takeva stressed, adding that serious changes in civic education, which form the attitude towards the state and state institutions, and provide personal motivation to young people to be successful, should be implemented.

The BUT chair explained that the staffing policy of the education system has three main factors, related to the good preparation of teachers in higher education institutions, the supporting qualification and the positive school environment where teachers work. Takeva relates these factors to the salary increase and the improvement of working conditions in schools and kindergartens.

Currently, there are 92,619 teaching professionals in pre-school and school education in Bulgaria.