Komsomolskaya Pravda: "Putin pushes Fursenko on teacher salaries"
The prime minister continues pressing an idea he voiced before the new academic year.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin started yesterday's meeting with Minister of Education and Science, Andrei Fursenko, with a philosophical preamble: "Time flies ..." and went on: "What about the project on upgrading the school system? How are teacher salary raises going in the regions?"
Putin has been talking about teachers' salaries for a month. He keeps returning to this issue during meetings with the government and in the regions...
"Here's a very brief report," Fursenko said, looking at his papers. "We are ready now. Teachers will receive their first higher salaries (an advance on September 20-25); they will get their full salaries in early October... Four regions will bring salaries above the national average, another 44 regions will match it and still another 38 regions have raised salaries by 30%."
Fursenko didn't get away with his "very brief report." "Now the second thing," he went on, but Putin interrupted him: "We talked about raising them (teacher salaries – A.G.) to match the national average, and this process should be continued until it's done in every region... no matter who I talked to in the regions, all of them say it's possible to do this next year."
"We have planned the next step for the first quarter of 2012," Fursenko said, taking his eyes off the paper. "What's very important is that this project has become systemic and some regions have even increased the salaries of other educational workers along with those of teachers."
"This is very important," Putin said. "Remind your colleagues in the regions not to forget kindergarteners."
Fursenko showed Putin a chart:
"Here's an interesting point – the biggest sums have been allocated for the purchase of equipment but some money was spent on libraries and school buses. When you (addressing Putin – A.G.) gave this directive, you said that after we match the regional average in salaries it would be possible to allow a more versatile spending of the funds. We told all of them that they could not spend any money on building repairs before this happens, but we are planning to give this permission to those regions that have matched the required level. Some regions are already starting to do this."
Putin nodded in agreement: "Yes, I know."
"We have published these agreements on the United Russia site," Fursenko added. "The Popular Front is closely monitoring them... In late September we will hold a big meeting with the front's participation and will check on regional progress."
After a short pause, Putin agreed again: "Okay."
Alexander Gamov
