Prague, May 22 (CTK) – The Czech government released today 404 million crowns from the budget reserve for the teachers’ pay rise as of September, Education Minister Katerina Valachova (Social Democrats, CSSD) has told reporters.
The money should be divided among teachers on the basis of a new career order that the Senate, the upper house of Czech parliament, will debate on May 31. If approved, teachers will be classified in three categories from beginners to excellent and remunerated accordingly.
The ministers approved Valachova’s proposal unanimously today.
Under the career order, all starting teachers will have to undergo a two-year adaptation period that would end with approval proceedings at schools where they work.
The Education Ministry estimates the number of starting teachers at some 3000 at the beginning, including those with less than two years of practice.
The teachers with more than two years of practice will be automatically “introducing teachers” to help the beginners for which they would get a bonus of 3000 crowns a month or 1500 crowns if their number of teaching lessons would be cut over it.
Schools will also be obliged to secure support for new teachers. Consequently, they will have to annually pay 15,750 crowns extra on average for every starting teacher, the Education Ministry has calculated.
The recent changes to the school law also count with a higher involvement of educational advisers in the integration of socially deprived children in the regular school system.
Besides, the Chamber of Deputies recently set a bonus for class-teachers of up to 1500 crowns a month.
Valachova decided to tender her resignation as of May 31 to take political responsibility for the case of influencing sport subsidies over which her deputy Simona Kratochvilova had been taken into custody.
Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (CSSD) will probably submit her proposal to President Milos Zeman after Wednesday when Valachova would like to officially offer it to Sobotka.
She told journalists today that she would not say whom she would like to replace her. It has been speculated about her deputy Stanislav Stech.
Valachova wants to defend the new career order for teachers in the Senate before her departure.
($1=23.710 crowns)
