As Lithuania prepares for the start of a new academic year, teachers are expressing frustration over delayed textbooks, crowded classrooms and long-standing disputes about the country’s pay system. The education minister has promised changes but cautions that quick solutions are unlikely.
At Vilnius Pilaitė Gymnasium, enrolment has surged by 130 students this year, creating added pressure. Some textbooks aligned with updated curricula are still not available, leaving schools to rely on digital platforms.
“Each student is registered in the EDUKA system, which provides access to most textbooks electronically,” said school director Mindaugas Briedis.
The staffing shortage is another hurdle. According to the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports, schools are still seeking nearly 500 teachers nationwide.
“We recently came up short by two part-time teachers and are actively looking,” Briedis said.
At a meeting in the southern town of Birštonas recently, hundreds of teachers told Education Minister Raminta Popovienė that low pay and difficult working conditions remain the key reasons the profession struggles to attract talent. Teachers also cited oversized classes and insufficient teaching resources as ongoing problems.
“The conditions needed for teachers to work comfortably remain the same – smaller classes, enough resources, and proper psychological conditions,” said Vilija Klimavičienė, a teacher at Šiauliai Juventa Progymnasium.
The current system of calculating salaries, which pays teachers differently for similar work across schools, is another source of discontent.
“It’s very unclear what you get paid for, and it leaves a wide space for manipulation,” said Virginija Duksienė, a special education teacher at Švenčionys Zigmas Žemaitis Gymnasium.
“Headmasters hold the strings in their hands – they can give more to one, less to another, and you may never know if it’s fair,” said Aivaras Dočkus, a teacher at Elektrėnai Ąžuolynas Progymnasium.
Education Minister Popovienė told teachers that discussions on reforming the pay system are underway but warned that changes will take time. She noted that teachers’ salaries will increase by 8% in September, raising the average monthly wage to about 1,900 euros after taxes. Additional pay supplements will also be introduced for using updated curricula.
Andrius Navickas, head of the Lithuanian Education Employees Trade Union, argued the increases fall short of earlier commitments. “To meet previous agreements, salaries should be raised by at least 10–15%,” he said.
The government has allocated 35 million euros for new textbooks this year, 10 million more than originally planned. But schools will need to keep waiting. Textbooks for primary and lower secondary levels are expected only in late September or October, while materials for upper secondary classes will not arrive until next year.
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