Expectations of the New Deputy Minister

Raising Teachers’ Salaries, Improving Education Quality and Expanding Professional Development Opportunities: These Are the Top Three Priorities for General Education

Raising teachers’ salaries, improving education quality, and expanding professional development opportunities for teachers are the three priorities most frequently identified by respondents to an anonymous online survey conducted by the Media for Education NGO. The survey asked participants about their expectations of the new Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports.

Of the 23 respondents, 19 highlighted the need to raise teachers’ salaries, 14 selected improving education quality, and 10 emphasized improving opportunities for teachers’ professional development.

Was a Change of Deputy Minister Necessary?

Asked whether a change of deputy minister was necessary, 10 of the 23 respondents answered yes, seven said no, and six found it difficult to answer.

Priorities for the New Deputy Minister

In addition to raising teachers’ salaries, improving education quality, and expanding professional development opportunities, respondents identified the following issues:

In their open-ended answers, several respondents addressed the assessment system and voluntary teacher certification. One participant wrote: “We ask and demand that the grading system be reinstated in middle and high school, freeing us from diagnostic assessments, rubrics, and other unnecessary paperwork.”

Another respondent expressed dissatisfaction with voluntary certification tests: “The voluntary certification tests vary greatly in difficulty depending on the subject. The requirements for voluntary certification should be clarified and aligned with the school level.”

Another participant asked: “In your opinion, can an exhausted and devalued teacher provide a quality educational environment?”

One response proposed a different approach to assessing teachers: “Teachers’ knowledge should not be assessed through voluntary certification, nor should their salaries be determined on that basis. Instead, evaluators should visit schools and assess each teacher’s work on site.”

Another participant raised the issue of improving certification and reviewing the salaries of education specialists: “What changes do you plan to introduce to improve certification? I also propose reviewing the salaries of specialists in the education sector (psychologists, special educators, speech therapists, and social educators).”

Transparency in voluntary certification and employment opportunities were also raised in an open-ended response: “Transparency in voluntary certification and ensuring employment for those who score 50–60%.”

Other suggestions concerned school management, the procedure for appointing principals, the content of high school education, and students’ motivation to learn.

Regarding the appointment of school principals and recruitment competitions, one respondent wrote: “…Why are genuine competitions not held? Why don’t primary grades in schools have subject specialists?”

Another response addressed the content of high school education: “Change the content of high schools so that children want to attend; they are wasting three years for nothing. They could acquire a profession instead.”

A Question or Suggestion for the New Deputy Minister

In response to the question, “If you had the opportunity to ask the new deputy minister one question or make one suggestion, what would you ask or suggest?”, one participant wrote: “Make students want to learn; develop mechanisms at the state level instead of putting all the blame on teachers.”

Another respondent asked: “Why are no quantitative and qualitative studies or surveys conducted to assess the quality of work in specific schools and universities? How is the need for new projects or changes justified?”

Survey participants were also interested in what new programs and reforms the deputy minister considers necessary in the education sector.

One participant asked: “What innovative proposals and approaches do you have for changing the format of inclusive education?”

Vocational Education and Training

In vocational education and training, respondents most frequently identified aligning curricula with modern professions as a priority. Eighteen of the 23 participants selected this option.

The second most frequently selected priority was strengthening the link between vocational education and labor market needs, with 15 responses. Increasing employer involvement ranked third, with 13 responses.

Other priorities included:

The respondent who selected “Other” proposed changing the teaching staff.