The plan to increase teachers’ salaries by 50% in the draft state budget for 2026 is a positive signal, but it is insufficient to improve the financial situation of educators. This opinion was expressed by the head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Taxation, and Customs Policy, Danilo Hetmancev.
This is reported by Finway
The Need to Implement the Education Law
Hetmancev emphasized the necessity of ensuring the implementation of the provisions of the Law of Ukraine “On Education,” which guarantees education workers a minimum income at the level of three minimum wages for teachers of the lowest category. According to him, a young teacher currently receives only about 6,000 hryvnias “net,” which is not enough to ensure a decent living. As a result, many young professionals are forced to leave the profession due to the low level of pay.
“Working in educational institutions is extremely challenging, and the salaries of educators do not exceed 9,500 UAH. The state must engage in addressing this issue, even if communities cannot provide additional payments.”
Complex Problems in the Education System
Danilo Hetmancev pointed out that the issues of education funding are complex and affect all levels—from preschool institutions and schools to extracurricular, vocational, and higher education. He stressed that the state must actively participate in addressing the material support of educators, even if local budgets are unable to provide the necessary supplements.