Drucker: Teacher Shortage in Slovakia Cannot Be Resolved in Short Term

Strbske Pleso, 28 August (TASR) - The shortage of teachers in our country cannot be resolved in the short term, stated Education Minister Tomas Drucker (Voice-SD) after an informal bilateral meeting with his Czech counterpart Mikulas Bek in the High Tatra mountains on Thursday. "What we have implemented so far are legislative changes that can make this profession more attractive. This includes, for example, changes in compensation allowances, salary indexation, and providing opportunities for future teachers who are still studying. We're trying to attract teachers who have completed their bachelor's degrees for this profession so they can gain experience, form connections, and then remain in education. This also includes scholarships, which we introduced more than two years ago, and we're using them to motivate students to choose teaching," said Drucker. Bek noted that Czech schools are more or less adequately staffed, but some teachers don't meet the necessary qualifications. Both ministers praised their mutual cooperation. According to Drucker, the education systems in both countries are still similar and face similar challenges, such as security threats in schools. "We also discussed artificial intelligence, our views on secondary education, and the fragmentation of education. Unfortunately, we still have many smaller schools that are unable to provide sufficient quality for our children," said Drucker. Higher education was also a topic of discussion, as many Slovaks study in the Czech Republic. Drucker would like to change this and motivate Czech students to study at Slovak schools instead. lin/df