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- The price of a vocation: teachers will receive double compensation for moving to the borderlands
The price of a vocation: teachers will receive double compensation for moving to the borderlands
Compensation payments to teachers moving to work in rural areas and small towns will be increased. However, this will affect only a few Russian regions. While the payment remains at 1 million rubles in most regions of the Russian Federation, a new target of 2 million rubles has been set for the Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions. This measure is designed to respond to the acute shortage of teaching staff in the border areas, but experts believe that financial incentives alone will be categorically insufficient without systemic changes in the working and living conditions of teachers. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.a
Why does the border region receive double support
A draft government decree providing for a significant increase in compensation payments to teachers moving to work in the border region has been published on the Federal Portal of Draft Regulatory Legal Acts.
The increase in compensation for teachers who have moved to the Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions is dictated not just by an administrative decision, but by the harsh reality in which these regions find themselves. Experts note that in conditions of a difficult demographic and socio-economic situation, as well as taking into account the specifics of the border territories, it is here that the most acute shortage of specialists is felt.
The increase in payments is due not only to the general shortage of personnel in rural areas, but also to the need to strengthen the educational infrastructure in the regions, where it plays a key role for stability and development, said Igor Murog, a member of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture.
Irina Abankina, Chief Researcher at the HSE Institute of Education, is convinced that the reasons for the shortage of personnel in the border regions lie in security threats for students and their families, as well as for teachers and heads of educational organizations. Students are experiencing increased stress, which places an additional burden on teachers to provide psychological support and support for students.
In general, the shortage of personnel, according to the expert, is observed in almost all regions of the Russian Federation (as well as in many countries of the world), but it is quite difficult to attract specialists to regions with a security threat. The increase in payments, in her opinion, is due precisely to the compensation of threats.
In turn, Sergey Rybalchenko, Director General of the Institute of Scientific and Public Expertise, points out that there are always risks of an outflow of qualified personnel. But this is especially true for the border regions. For example, for the Kursk region, which is now actually involved in the fighting.
— Increasing payments in such regions compared to others is the right approach. These measures are related not only to the peculiarities of the area, but also to the additional risks of living near the territories where hostilities are taking place, including due to possible shelling," the Izvestia interlocutor is convinced.
The threat of personnel overflow
At the same time, different levels of government are aware of the risks of a possible outflow of qualified teachers from other regions of the Russian Federation in favor of areas with an increased level of compensation. A logical question arises: how to prevent such imbalances?
Igor Murog is confident that to solve this problem, the government is considering a set of measures aimed at the balanced development of the education system throughout the country. It is important that the support is targeted and takes into account the real needs of each region.
In turn, Sergey Rybalchenko believes that one should not rely solely on government support: the regions have their own programs. The subjects of the Russian Federation should make every effort to ensure accessibility and high quality of education in any area, not only in cities, but also in villages.
— One-time monetary incentives (the same "lifting" ones as in Soviet times) are really important, but they are not the only tool. I would put the salary level first. Along with it, other support measures are needed that will make work in the regions more attractive for qualified specialists," the expert emphasizes.
Meanwhile, Irina Abankina believes that the risks of overflows are low. They do not pose a serious threat and there is no need for special measures in the context of different amounts of compensation.
— I think, on the contrary, there is a higher probability of attracting young people to work in such regions, which will have a positive impact on the quality and accessibility of education, — says the interlocutor of Izvestia.
Will 2 million rubles be enough to move and live
The problem of attracting and securing teachers in rural areas is difficult and it is difficult to solve it only by increasing compensation to 2 million in several regions for several reasons, says Farida Mirzabalayeva, associate professor of the basic Department of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry "Human Resource Management" at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics.
When considering issues related to the relocation of teachers, it is important to analyze the situation from different angles. First of all, you need to understand what the purpose of the move is. If a specialist comes temporarily to help the region and then returns, then perhaps payments in the amount of 1-2 million rubles can actually cover the costs of adaptation and changes in infrastructure. But if we are talking about moving to a permanent place of residence and in-depth work and growth within the region, these funds are catastrophically insufficient, says Irina Plyasova, a lecturer and expert at Moscow City Pedagogical University (MGPU). The money will be spent in just a year, she believes.
"Salaries in the new region are unlikely to be significantly higher, and issues of professional growth, interaction with colleagues and participation in educational programs remain open," the Izvestia interlocutor emphasizes.
The amount of 2 million rubles does not allow solving one of the main issues during the move — housing, adds Farida Mirzabalayeva. In this regard, in her opinion, it is necessary to organize the provision of housing and write off a certain amount after working in rural areas. For example, after three years, 20% of the value of a house or apartment is written off, and after 10 years of work, the property becomes the property of the teacher and his family.
— It is necessary to raise the salaries of teachers to an average level, because the regional variation is significant. The salary should be attractive. Today, working conditions need to be significantly improved: reduced intensity, etc.," the expert explains.
It is also important to develop the infrastructure of villages, as young people need to be attracted not only by earnings, but also by the opportunity to comfortably raise and educate children, she continues.
— With a good education and medical system, young people will be very happy to stay in rural areas. And it is important to increase the prestige of the teaching profession," Farida Mirzabalayeva believes.
Anna Sternberg, a member of the Council of the Teacher's trade union, is convinced that it is impossible to talk about the sufficiency of monetary incentives in the form of compensation for moving to rural areas, if the teacher's salary for one rate in most regions is less than the minimum wage, and the teaching profession itself has "lost all appeal."
— And compensation will not solve the problem radically. The Ministry is again proposing a method of patching holes instead of a real increase in wages and regulation of work responsibilities. Of course, the provision of housing and transport accessibility has not prevented anyone yet, and this is a good help if all this is combined with an adequate salary and human requirements," she is sure.
Honored Teacher of the Russian Federation Alexander Shevkin briefly and rigidly formulates his position: one-time payments will not stimulate relocation to regions with lower salaries and worse social conditions.
What other measures are needed to retain young professionals
The Ministry of Education is already working on expanding the package of support measures, including mentoring, adaptation and distance learning programs for newly arrived teachers, Igor Murog reports.
— In the future, it is possible to expand the geography of increased compensation and adjust the criteria for selecting regions participating in the program. It is clear that monetary incentives alone are not enough to effectively attract young professionals. It is necessary to create conditions for a comfortable life and work: provide housing, develop transport accessibility, provide opportunities for professional growth and retraining," the senator emphasizes.
The issue of professional growth and a "career elevator" is also important, Sergey Rybalchenko draws attention. If a young specialist has worked in rural areas for, for example, five years, he should have the opportunity to move to a city or another region. At the same time, the state or the region itself should facilitate such migration.
— The rotation model that existed in Soviet times is quite appropriate here: then graduates were sent for distribution. I believe that this practice will provide additional incentives for graduates of pedagogical universities. Not all of them continue to work in the educational field. A rotation system with relocation support could be a good incentive for those who are ready to pursue a career as a teacher, but cannot do so for financial reasons, the expert argues.
He also adds that "lifting" could help specialists who are faced with a choice: to continue their professional activities in accordance with their education or to retrain. Such funds allow you to solve pressing problems in a new place: for example, to purchase a car or partially cover housing costs.
Farida Mirzabalayeva suggests targeted education as one of the levers, but clarifies that it is important to select those who really go into the field of education by vocation. In this area, it is necessary to allocate grants for the best young teachers, organize the exchange of experience between specialists in the mentoring system.
Why the old methods don't work
At the same time, even the most professional teachers will not be enough if they teach "old" technologies to "new" children, warns Irina Plyasova.
— In this case, the effect will be minimal. And with minimal results, it becomes uninteresting to work, and the specialist will strive to return to a stable situation — home," she says.
The problem with the quality of children's education in secondary schools remains acute. And simply moving specialists from one region to another will not solve it.
— When we leave school, we face difficulties not because we have bad teachers — their level is about the same in different regions — but because the approaches to learning themselves do not change. And children are changing significantly, technology is changing, and the tasks that secondary vocational education and, accordingly, the real sector of the economy are changing," explains the Izvestia interlocutor.
When a teacher works at 1.5–2 rates, all mentoring programs are pure fiction, because you can study effectively only if you have free time, adds Anna Sternberg.
— Five years of work for compensation is just the time for which, under current conditions, a young teacher will burn out before he succeeds in the profession, — she warns.
This problem is systemic and requires an integrated approach. It is still possible to attract a specialist to rural areas, but it is difficult to secure him there, summarizes Farida Mirzabalayeva.
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