The Estonian Education Personnel Union (EHL) sought to raise the minimum teacher salary in 2026 to match the national average wage, or €2,201. During state budget negotiations, however, the minimum teacher salary was set at €1,970, around 10 percent below Estonia's average wage.

"This is not a motivating salary for a teacher with a master's degree. We continue to see qualified teachers leaving schools this year because of low pay and excessive workloads," said EHL chair Reemo Voltri.

According to Voltri, Estonia is now approaching a situation where the country's education quality is being sustained by private tutors. A study published earlier this year by the Foresight Center also confirmed that the private tutoring market has become an important part of children's educational paths and provides essential support where schools are no longer able to help all students. According to the study, as many as one in three parents in Estonia use private tutors to support their children.

"To prevent educational inequality, we must ensure that all our young people are taught by very good teachers and not for an additional fee," Voltri stressed, referring to the governing coalition parties' promise to raise the calculated salary of general education school teachers to 120 percent of the national average wage by 2027. That would mean the minimum teacher salary should at least match the national average wage. The EHL hopes to achieve this through mediation by the public conciliator.

As part of efforts to resolve the labor dispute between the EHL and the Ministry of Education and Research, the public conciliator will initially meet with the parties separately, after which the conciliator will assess whether joint conciliation meetings are necessary. If the parties fail to reach an agreement, the EHL will gain the right to organize a strike.

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