The «Educational Dialogues of Odesa» forum brought together leaders and staff from educational institutions ranging from preschools to universities, as well as representatives from government bodies and city administrations.
Key issues requiring collaborative effort to improve the quality of educational services were on the agenda.
Due to the ongoing war, the number of students in Odesa schools has decreased, yet the workload on educators remains high and salaries set by the state are low. Currently, there are 474 vacant positions in educational institutions (previously over 600). The shortage of teachers in natural sciences is particularly acute.
Additional responsibilities, such as the organization of "Unbreakable Points", significantly diminish the prestige of the profession as these tasks go unpaid.
The introduction of a municipal supplement of 3000 hryvnias, nearly half a salary, has helped attract young specialists to schools, yet the demand for such professionals remains high.
The average age of a teacher in Odesa is 46 years.
Recently, the quality of teacher training has also become a challenge due to rapidly changing curriculum requirements.
During the forum, Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov instructed the Director of the Department of Education, Olena Buinevych, to develop a system of municipal supplements for pedagogical and technical staff in collaboration with financial experts.
The mayor also tasked the city with establishing cooperation with the Institute of Physics at Odesa National University for utilizing its resources in teaching natural sciences to high school students.
«Our priorities today are clear: army – education – medicine», – summarized Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov.
