On Thursday, 26 September, the Saeima adopted urgent amendments to the Education Law in order to compensate teachers of educational institutions their expenses related to transport and rental of living quarters.

The amendments task the Cabinet with setting the procedures and the extent to which teachers of state educational institutions may be compensated for transport expenses and expenses for renting living space, as well as the conditions for granting these compensations. These procedures are to be adopted by the Cabinet by 31 December of this year.

The possibility for teachers to receive compensation for transport and rental costs will apply to state, municipal, and state higher education institutions.

The amendments to the law are proposed in order to reduce the shortage of teachers by enabling the founders of educational institutions to allocate additional remuneration. The authors of the amendments have pointed out in the explanatory note that the shortage of teachers in educational institutions, especially in rural areas has reached a critical level.

Currently, a number of educational institutions are faced with the fact that a teacher cannot start working because there is a lack of public transport or because of a lack of affordable rental apartments in the area, the explanatory note stresses.

The amendments to the Education Law will enter into force on the day of their promulgation.

Saeima Press Service