Why were teachers’ bonuses cut in 106 communities in 2026?
In most communities of Ukraine, teachers’ salaries increased by more than 30% due to the rise in prestige bonuses. At the same time, in some communities, payments remained unchanged or even decreased.
This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the head of the relevant committee of the Verkhovna Rada, Serhiy Babak.
Read also: Teachers are preparing for a new salary increase: what changes are being proposed
Main points:
- In over 90% of communities, teachers received 30% more due to additional payments.
- Only every seventh community (14.1%) provides teachers with the maximum 30% bonus.
- The lack of funds for salaries is often linked to excessively high costs per student in small schools.
- The situation requires the implementation of a new wage system for a balanced approach across all regions.
How salaries have changed
Monitoring for January-February 2026 covered 1,463 territorial communities. The results showed that in 91.9% of communities, teachers’ salaries increased by more than 30%. Compared to 2025, the situation looks as follows:
- In 91.9% of communities, teachers’ salaries increased by more than 30%;
- In 7.3% of communities, the growth was less;
- In 0.8% of communities, bonuses were not awarded (referring to frontline or occupied territories).
In particular, in 593 communities (40.5%), the bonus amount was increased, while in 752 (51.4%), it remained at the previous level.
At the same time, in 106 communities (7.3%), payments were reduced.
What bonuses do teachers receive
The level of prestige bonuses varies significantly depending on the community.
In particular:
- 30% bonuses are received in 206 communities;
- 25-30% in 109 communities;
- 20-25% in 433 communities;
- 15-20% in 251 communities;
- 10-15% in 282 communities;
- 5-10% in 84 communities;
- minimum 5% in 86 communities.
Why payments were reduced in some communities
The reduction of bonuses was recorded in 106 communities. The main reason cited is a lack of resources. At the same time, according to Serhiy Babak, this is also related to structural problems.
This includes:
- an unoptimized network of educational institutions;
- a large number of small schools;
- low class occupancy.
This leads to inefficient distribution of funds.
Where there was money, but bonuses were not increased
Among the 106 communities, there are nine that had the financial capacity to increase payments but did not do so. Their accounts had between 800,000 and 1.8 million hryvnias. In particular, this concerns communities in Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, Poltava, Rivne, and Cherkasy regions.
According to Babak, in such cases, it is not so much about a lack of funds as about different management approaches to their distribution.
Recall that earlier the government introduced a support program for Ukrainian teachers called “Money follows the teacher.” Under this program, each teacher receives 1,500 hryvnias on a special virtual account, which can be used for professional development.
At the same time, Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisovyi emphasized that teachers’ salaries should not only match the market level but also exceed it.
Source: rbc.ua +rel=”nofollow”
