Schools in the Mykolaiv region are short of psychologists and science teachers: over 60 per cent are over 50 years old

There is a shortage of psychologists and science teachers in the Mykolaiv region. File photo: NikVesti

There is a shortage of teaching staff in the Mykolaiv region, particularly teachers of physics, chemistry, geography and mathematics, as well as school psychologists.

This was reported by Alla Velikhovska, Director of the Department of Education and Science at the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration, during a meeting of the Mykolaiv Regional Council’s Standing Committee on Education.

According to her, there have been 67 vacancies for psychologists in the region since the start of the year, but graduates of the relevant degree programmes are not keen to work in schools.

«I won’t give an exact figure. I know that since the start of the year, we’ve had 67 vacancies for psychologists, despite the fact that we have more psychology faculties and specialisms than we need. They are not going into schools. We are told that they are needed, they study, but then they do not go into schools. This is because the salary and what a psychologist can earn in a non-governmental organisation are incomparable,» said Alla Velikhovska.

At the same time, she highlighted a shortage of teachers of physics, chemistry, geography and mathematics. According to her, it is precisely amongst teachers of these subjects that there is a significant ageing of the workforce.

«There is a shortage of teachers in physics, chemistry, geography and mathematics. We are seeing an ageing workforce in these subjects; over 60 per cent of our teachers are aged 50 or over. There is a problem,» said the director of the department.

Velikhovska added that, in order to attract young specialists, local authorities must provide them with suitable working conditions. At the same time, the issue of pay rises for teachers remains unresolved.

«Discussions on a pay rise are currently underway, but the document has not yet been adopted. There have been discussions about 1 September, 1 January… As the document has not been adopted today, I cannot say whether there will be a pay rise,» she noted.

During the meeting, MP Nataliia Ternavska proposed analysing the situation in local communities separately, in collaboration with education authorities and schools, to determine their staffing needs and ways of attracting young teachers.

At the same time, Kateryna Konopliannykova, headteacher of South Ukrainian Lyceum No. 4 and a councillor, responded by emphasising that salary levels remain one of the key factors in attracting teachers.

«One of my PE teachers is leaving; he’s moving to a nuclear power station, where he’ll be paid considerably more. Two young teaching assistants are also leaving; they are unhappy with the pay and the attitude of some parents, as respect for teachers is declining year on year. Only then will children be keen to enrol and to work as teachers,» said Kateryna Konopliannykova.

As a reminder, in the new academic year in the Mykolaiv region, there are preliminary plans to organise face-to-face teaching in 244 general secondary schools, with a further 107 operating in a blended format and 41 via distance learning. Distance learning will be retained primarily in schools located near the line of contact.