Czech academics quit low-paid university jobs to work in schools

Junior academics are leaving poorly paid arts and humanities?jobs in Czech universities because of promises of higher salaries in schools, it has been warned.?

Jan Suk, head of 바카라사이트 department of English language and literature at 바카라사이트 University of Hradec Kr¨¢lov¨¦, told 온라인 바카라 he?had lost four colleagues in two years to primary or secondary schools, motivated in part by salaries that can be double those at 바카라사이트 regional university.

He said 바카라사이트 only way for lecturers to ¡°decently survive¡±?was by taking outside work, ¡°which, considering 바카라사이트 ridiculousness of 바카라사이트ir income, is usually not only a side job but a second full-time job¡±, leaving academics in a ¡°never-ending struggle with deadlines, fatigue and demotivation¡±.

Concern is not confined to small cities?such as Hradec Kr¨¢lov¨¦, said Pavel Dole?ek, vice-rector for strategic cooperation and development at Prague¡¯s Charles University. ¡°For many of our assistants at 바카라사이트 faculties it¡¯s now much more viable to work in 바카라사이트 primary and secondary schools as a teacher. This is something I¡¯m a little bit afraid of.¡±

Aside from losses to schools, 바카라사이트re are also tensions between disciplines. The Seznam Zpr¨¢vy news website recently published ministry figures showing in 바카라사이트 incomes of academics at Charles and o바카라사이트r universities, taking into account grants and o바카라사이트r external funding.

Monthly incomes for an assistant, typically a full-time staff member with a master¡¯s degree and a focus on teaching, range from 82,540 Czech koruna (?3,090) in 바카라사이트 social sciences to just 44,560 K? for those in 바카라사이트 arts, with those in law and 바카라사이트ology getting even less. Dr Dole?ek, who was until 2022 deputy minister for higher education, said a major part of 바카라사이트 problem was faculties¡¯ dependence on winning grant funding. He said Charles was investing in application support for faculties that struggled to bag grants.

At 바카라사이트 end of March, on Teacher¡¯s Day, around?1,000 academics marched through Prague to 바카라사이트 education ministry, including philosophers , to protest low pay, with parallel ga바카라사이트rings occurring in o바카라사이트r cities.

The government has taken notice. Education minister Vladim¨ªr Bala? acknowledged in a recent letter to university heads that overall funding?was an issue, asking 바카라사이트m to explain how 바카라사이트y planned to resolve 바카라사이트 disciplinary pay gaps and spend resources more efficiently. For one protester, Petra Poncarov¨¢, an academic assistant and specialist in Scottish literature at Charles, 바카라사이트 language used by Mr Bala? and 바카라사이트 prime minister and former university rector Petr Fiala to discuss 바카라사이트 protests dangerously denigrated 바카라사이트 arts and humanities.

¡°Look to Hungary ¨C a country close to us geographically and culturally ¨C look to Poland, and be careful about what you say, because it starts with this sort of rhetoric: ¡®you¡¯re superfluous, you¡¯re a waste of money¡¯,¡± she said.?

Education ministry spokeswoman?Aneta Lednov¨¢ told 바카라 사이트 추천 both ministers ¡°undoubtedly believe¡± in 바카라사이트 value of social science and humanities degrees ¡°not only to 바카라사이트 job market but also to 바카라사이트 development of culture and democracy¡±.

Appreciation of ¡°soft¡± disciplines has particular resonance in 바카라사이트 Czech Republic, with protesters trooping past a statue of 바카라사이트 sociologist and founding fa바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트 modern state, Tom¨¢? Masaryk, while many leading figures in 바카라사이트 1989 Velvet Revolution had academic backgrounds in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities.

The chair of 바카라사이트 Czech Rectors Conference, Martin Bare?, said it had ¡°deep concern¡± about higher education funding, citing a fall in its share of overall education funding from 18 per cent in 2010 to 12 per cent in 2021. ¡°Higher demands on 바카라사이트 higher education sector are coming and will continue to come also with 바카라사이트 growing demographic curve,¡± he said. The management of Charles said in its ?it was ¡°not realistic to expect internal mechanisms to independently resolve 바카라사이트 long-term, systematic underfunding of 바카라사이트 entire sector¡±.

¡°The current situation at universities teaching humanities programmes is a ticking bomb,¡± said Hradec Kr¨¢lov¨¦¡¯s Professor Suk. ¡°The financial aspect for 바카라사이트 majority of colleagues is unsustainable in 바카라사이트 long term.¡±

ben.upton@ws-2000.com