«Treated like doormats»: Omsk residents on kindergarten teachers' pay

Residents of Omsk actively responded to the article by NGS55.RU about the work of a young kindergarten teacher, who spoke about low salaries, high staff turnover, and ambiguous attitudes from parents. In the comments to the publication, readers agreed with the arguments of the article«s protagonist.

«Teachers prepare and conduct lessons, are responsible for every bruise and scratch (despite parents bringing children with injuries), organize endless competitions (for the prestige of the kindergarten), communicate with unreasonable parents (there are few, but they exist!), and on top of that, have to work in two shifts.»

Others expressed the opinion that since the work of kindergarten staff (and schools too) is not valued, it«s not worth studying to become one.

«And there«s no need to become teachers or educators anymore. Since the work isn»t valued, you can«t force affection. Let them teach and raise their own, so to speak diplomatically.»

Some Omsk residents don«t understand why kindergarten staff continue to work there.

«But they go there anyway, treated like doormats, but they keep going.»

Parents of pupils also spoke up in defense of the teachers.

«I am a parent, but I fully stand with the teachers: the pay for such difficult and responsible work is humiliatingly and absurdly low. My daughter graduated from kindergarten last year, and I really didn«t like how the parents behaved. I believe they treated the teachers unfairly. Not only can they not agree among themselves and organize something, but they also attack the teacher. We had one left, the second quit a year before the group»s graduation — she couldn«t take it anymore.»

Readers also mentioned the teacher«s assistants, who are also treated poorly, and their salaries are even lower.

«Those who really deserve monuments in their lifetime are the teacher«s assistants. People who care for children for pennies, sometimes even doing the teachers» work. And this needs to be reported too. Many nannies have very good education, no worse than teachers and even better.»

«But is any work valued here? Doctors, teachers? I won«t even mention nannies and educators. Then there»s this inclusion. When half the group has special needs, and the other half is simply under-examined. And that includes the parents.»

Teachers also complained about poor working conditions: they, like educators, are considered almost like servants.

«I am a teacher with 35 years of experience, but I started as an educator. It«s very hard and thankless work. 20–30 children, their whims and fancies, constant reproaches from mothers, many of whom consider you almost like a servant… No amount of money is enough! And to endure all the injustice for meager salaries…»

Earlier we reported on a kindergarten where the temperature in the groups is +16 degrees Celsius (61°F) and the situation hasn«t changed for years.