Laptops replace Estonian teachers’ wage rise
09.02.2009, 10:59 The teachers will not get a wage rise,
according to cutting plan, but the program to supply all teachers with laptops
has not been halted, ERR News reports.
Today Tõnis Lukas, the Minister of Education and Research will propose some
ways of guaranteeing teachers’ wage rise.
No one argues anymore whether the computer is necessity for a teacher or not.
But in this situation would it be a luxury to supply teachers with laptops?
“Sometimes people think of it as it was some kind of luxury project. I think
it is not so. Nowadays a laptop is like blackboard and chalk used to be,” Andres
Ammas, the director of Haapsalu Gümnaasium said.
In Viimsi school nearly every teacher has a computer at home. They all have
the option of using computer at school as well. Hille Eek, the director of
studies in the school said that all teachers won’t get a laptop anyway. It is a
luxury item in this situation.
“If all teachers would get a laptop, they’d be in equal position. But
certainly not like this. In that time this is actually a luxury item,” Eek said.
Lukas said that all costs in the ministry’s management area were
automatically cut by 7 pct. He’d prefer to keep the salary rise and make savings
on something else.