Reaction to the staffing crisis in education: how much teachers’ salaries should be raised by the parliamentary committee
13 November 2025 15:18
The Verkhovna Rada Committee on Education, Science and Innovation has called on the government to provide an additional UAH 13.5 billion in the state budget for 2026. These funds should provide for an increase in salaries for pedagogical and scientific and pedagogical workers to the level of three minimum wages. This was reported by the press service of the parliament, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
What the committee says
The parliamentary committee appealed to the prime minister to urgently allocate this funding before the budget is adopted, and not after a “six-month analysis,” as the government proposes.
“Most Ukrainian schools operate thanks to the sacrifice of teachers of retirement and pre-retirement age. Young people do not go into education because the salary is humiliating and the conditions are not motivating,” the deputies said.
According to the committee members, even the almost 6 billion hryvnias allocated by the government to “increase the prestige of the profession” will not affect the real increase in rates for school teachers.
What the Cabinet of Ministers says
The Cabinet of Ministers proposes to consider raising teachers’ salaries from September 1, 2026, if the economic situation allows. The Rada Committee criticized this approach, calling it “a delay” and “another year with meager rates.”
Acute staffing shortages in schools
At the same time, Ukraine is facing an acute staffing shortage in schools. Most Ukrainian schools operate thanks to the dedication of retired and pre-retired teachers, and young professionals often leave the profession within the first two years due to low salaries.
In the new draft budget, the government plans to increase the state order for technical and pedagogical specialties, which are projected to be critical for the country’s post-war recovery.
