The Trade Union of Education in Finland OAJ is calling for a major overhaul of pay and working conditions for teachers, firing the opening shots in negotiations before their current collective salary agreement expires in March 2020.
The principal demand is for a starting salary of €3000 per month for newly qualified teachers.
OAJ says the extra money would help drive recruitment of teachers, which has been falling in recent years, and hopefully incentivize more people to go into the classroom.
“The modest wage level in the industry is an undeniable problem. The salary level of a postgraduate teacher who is starting a career is less than €3000” explains Olli Luukkainen, OAJ chairman.
“The teaching profession is still popular. However, the decline in the number of applicants for teacher education indicates a weakening of the attractiveness of teaching and education” he says.
OAJ is also calling on the government to reduce pupil-to-teacher ratios to help enhance the overall learning experience; extend compulsory high school education from 16 to 19; and mandate a minimum number of special needs teachers for pupils who need extra support.
