Salary of university teachers: both laughter and sin

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

For more than a decade, the situation in education has been systematically deteriorating. Despite the fact that in 2012-2013 the salary of university teachers, as well as teachers of schools and preschool institutions, increased slightly, it still leaves much to be desired. Institutes and academies, opening paid departments and faculties, providing additional services, are desperately trying to survive, but the general situation in the country negatively affects the quality of education.

As a result, associate professors and professors are forced to "earn extra money" by combining several rates. The salary of university teachers in no region of Russia has exceeded 37 thousand rubles - and this is the maximum. High school teachers earn on average less than middle school workers. Let's say a senior teacher earns an average of about 9,000 rubles. It is not surprising that scientificemployees are looking for a better share in business or abroad.

In America or Western Europe, the salary of university teachers allows them to exist quite comfortably. Education and a scientific degree are valued according to merit, and the profession of a teacher has not lost its prestige.

Slightly different situation looks in Central Europe. In Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, the salaries of university professors are, on average, twice as high as in Russia. However, there is also a noticeable difference between private and public educational institutions. And senior teachers and assistants cannot afford to exist only on a salary. As in Russia, scientists are willing to earn extra money in schools or courses.

The decline in the prestige of the profession and status affects not only the psychological state, based on a sense of inferiority and everyday problems of higher education employees. It directly affects the quality of educational services provided. For example, if the salary of a university teacher in Moscow in a budgetary institution ranges from 13 thousand rubles (for associate professors) to 20 (for professors), on average, then in the regions the situation looks even worse. Even these figures may be somewhat overestimated, as they include the income of the administrative staff. Surprisingly, while the average salary of university professors barely allows them to survive, the official and not very remuneration of rectors is at least several hundred thousand rubles a month. The government, instead of decisive measures to improve the quality andthe standard of living of associate professors and professors, as well as junior research workers, claims that such earnings indicate their supposedly low level. After all, few people can afford to agree to work for that kind of money…

This is all the more sad because, as a result, teachers earn extra money not only by tutoring, but also try to find additional classes: for example, journalism, writing books and textbooks, participating in the preparation of computer programs. All this, of course, is wonderful, but it distracts scientists from their direct duties. Training of students, high-quality higher education are in disrepair. Many teachers try to go abroad for internships or permanent work. As a result, domestic institutions of higher education are constantly losing highly qualified specialists.