Educational “Solidarity”: there will be no teachers soon, because they will not want to work in the profession

We have a crisis in education: staff and age. Soon there will be no teachers because they will not want to work in the profession – said Waldemar Jakubowski, chairman of the Educational Solidarity on Monday. He noted that in his “deep belief” there is currently no “strike atmosphere”.

On the day of the start of the new school year 2025/2026, the National Section of Education and Education of the Independent Self -Governing Trade Union Solidarity organized a press conference before the Primary Integration School No. 339 in Warsaw.

The chairman of educational Solidarity assessed that there is a “staff but also age -old” crisis in education.

– While the average age of an employee in Poland is 42 years, in the case of a teacher – it is nearly 49 years – he said. In his opinion, there will be no teachers because they will not want to work in the profession.

Trade unionists said, among others about pay issue.

– We are demanding – not from today, not from yesterday – connections of teachers' salaries with the economic indicator – said Jakubowski. – We want to connect the average salary in the sector of enterprises with the basic pay for teachers. We would like it to ultimately be – for a qualified teacher – 150 percent. this value – he explained.

The educational “S” also wants regulation, among others oversized hours.

– Some steps have already been made by the ministry, but in our opinion they are insufficient. They should be continued, so that the situation is fully clear, so that the gray payroll zone in education is ultimately liquidated – added Jakubowski.

He noted that salaries are not the only problem of the Polish education system. He also mentioned the “atmosphere around education” among others.

– Education is not a fad. It is an investment in future generations, an investment that translates into specific money and gives a specific return. We must make the society aware – he added.

According to trade unionists, “we must start thinking about education at least in the perspective of twenty years.”

– Therefore, during the National Development Council at President Andrzej Duda, the idea of ​​building a Polish area of ​​education and creating such an educational plan was created, which would also be associated with the economic development plan – he added.

Hence, as he explained, criticized by the educational “S” work on – in the opinion of trade unionists – “abstract” and created “in isolation from reality” by a graduate and graduate profile conducted by the Institute of Educational Research – the National Research Institute.

– We postulate that we should use existing research, e.g. the Polish Digital Society, which clearly indicate which areas of the economy in Poland should be developed – said Jakubowski.

In his opinion, the field of thinking should be as follows: higher education, industry education, general, and finally primary education, kindergartens. Meanwhile, the profile of a graduate and graduate, associated with the education reform announced by the Ministry of National Education, focuses on kindergartens and primary school.

When asked by PAP, whether trade unionists are considering a strike if the manifestation planned for September 13 by the educational “S” does not bring the expected effect, Jakubowski replied: – At the moment, in my deep belief, there is no strike atmosphere. (PAP)

Pak/ JOZ/ LM/