President Pellegrini Understands Calls for Teacher Salary Hikes

Bratislava, November 15 (TASR) - President Peter Pellegrini understands the demand raised by education unionists to introduce salary hikes for teachers and called on the involved parties to find a prompt compromise. The head of state said this after his Friday meeting with the unionists and Education Minister Tomas Drucker (Voice-SD) in the Presidential Palace. "I understand the demand to increase salaries for teachers and education employees alike. Even in the face of the necessary consolidation effort, the government should make sure its policies show which fields are state priorities - and those should be the education and health sectors," reads the statement sent to TASR by the President's Office. Pellegrini voiced his appreciation for the dialogue between representatives of the ministry and the labour unions. "I urge them to continue this dialogue and find a compromise between the demands of the unions and the need to husband state resources prudently," he claimed, calling the talks "constructive". The debate on education, however, cannot be limited to the issue of salaries only, as the priority must be the quality education of Slovak students too. "At the same time, it's necessary to talk about the quality of education and the readiness of teachers to handle new challenges brought by the technology revolution and the rise of AI," said Pellegrini. mf/mcs