Drucker: Education Ministry Backs Teacher Allowances

Bratislava, 28 December (TASR) - The Education Ministry wants to preserve compensation allowances for teachers while continuing further salary increases, Education Minister Tomas Drucker (Voice-SD) has said in a year-end interview with TASR. Drucker added that experts at a global education forum organised by the OECD had also assessed this step as the right one. As he noted, there are regions in Slovakia where the same nominal wage does not bring the same quality of life. "If you have only 60 percent of the costs for the same flat in one place compared to another, you can afford to buy more than someone who has to pay more," he explained. According to Drucker, compensation allowances help mainly in locations such as Bratislava, Trnava and Kosice, where the cost of living is much higher and people can afford less for the same wage. He pointed that as of January 2026, the salaries of all employees in the education sector will increase by a further seven percent — the same increase as was already applied in September 2025, despite the consolidation of public finances. In Drucker's view, the government and the Education Ministry have thus shown that they care about education. Drucker also stressed that the pace of change must be maintained so that Slovakia moves closer to a pay level comparable to that of university-educated people. In his view, this offers a chance to maintain the quality of education and make the teaching profession more attractive. "Education is the only area in Slovakia that can bring economic growth. That is why it makes sense to invest in education, including through growth in salaries," the minister added. Next year, the ministry plans to present a proposal for an automatic pay mechanism in education, Drucker said. "It should also include the compensation allowance, the rules for its application and what it should be linked to. We may not be able to immediately reach the target level we need to achieve, and it may take two to three years, but we want to come forward with it," he added. mf