Substitute teachers can out-earn regular teachers amid staffing shortages
As Estonian schools and kindergartens strive to address faculty shortages, substitute teachers on the ASÕP platform can earn more per hour than regular teachers.
ASÕP board member Gerli Neppi says 154 institutions have already joined the platform's kindergarten substitute teacher program, with about 3,000 teaching hours covered each month and roughly 150 substitutes rotating through the system.
Substitute teachers can work up to 35 hours a week and earn €16.42 per hour, or more than €4 above the hourly equivalent of teachers' 2026 minimum monthly salary of €1,970.
While the platform's website says candidates should have a degree or be working toward a teaching degree, the program has been more flexible in practice.
Neppi said applicants pursuing a degree in any field have been accepted, accounting for about 4 percent of participants. The approach was meant to quickly build a pool of substitutes amid a nationwide teacher shortage.
"At the launch stage, it was important for us to have a sufficient number of people in the database so we could genuinely support schools," she said, recalling ASÕP's early days in fall 2024.
Neppi added that candidates undergo background checks, including a review of prior experience with children and any teacher training.
Still, one participant told ERR the selection process felt cursory, describing a brief phone interview last summer that included rating their own empathy on a scale of one to ten.
Board member: Hiring schools still have final say
Some exceptions have also been made for candidates without and not currently pursuing a degree.
"We've made a few exceptions when it comes to kindergartens," Neppi acknowledged, referring to applicants with a high-school level education who have completed at least 150 hours of teacher training and have a year or more of experience working with children.
Currently, there are eight such individuals registered to the platform.
Regardless, all candidates must pass a criminal background check, with monthly follow-up checks to ensure they are not barred from working with children.
Neppi also emphasized that final hiring decisions rest with schools and kindergartens, which can review the details of candidates' education, experience and motivation statements before selecting a substitute teacher through their platform.
Founded in 2017, ASÕP is a strategic partner of the Ministry of Education and Research for 2021–2027, supporting COVID-19 pandemic response efforts and, since fall 2023, the nationwide transition to Estonian-language education.
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Editor: Märten Hallismaa, Aili Vahtla
