President Basescu approves controversial 50% raise for teachers

Vineri, 24 octombrie 2008, 13:42 English | Top News

"I promulgated the 50% salary growth for teachers law", Romania president Traian Basescu announced on Friday. "The law is constitutional and the attribution of a president is to promulgate, not to stand against laws", said Basescu. The head of state met on Friday morning the representatives of teachers' unions, but refused, for the moment, to announce whether he will or he won't promulgate the law, postponing the announcement for 13:00h.

Basescu's statements, in brief:

- The entire political class signed in favor of the strategy for a more efficient, better performing education system. Promulgating the law was opportune at this moment. With the existing salaries, it was impossible to have new professors, able to prepare the new generation. There are no good graduates from universities who are willing to teach for 700 RON per month";

- Salaries are the one of the reasons why we have so many substitute teachers in our education system;

- Education and intelligence are the most valuable resources of a nation. Education is 70% of all resources;

- It is unacceptable to increase wages without demanding a more netter performing system;

- The idea that there is no money to support the salary growth is not a real fact. The budget may be calculated according to priorities. It is a matter of will.

- It's impossible not to see how little a teacher earns after 25 years of experience, 1700-1800 RON (some 550-600 Euros, our note). The salaries for beginners are laughable.