Teacher Triin Viiron: Does beautiful nature make up for low wages in Hiiumaa?

Teacher Triin Viiron responds to a comment made on a radio programme suggesting that teachers in Hiiumaa receive compensation for low wages through the island's beautiful nature and a partner's good income. The article raises the question of whether this was a serious position or said in jest.

On a morning radio broadcast, a summary of newspaper contents was presented, including a story from Õhtuleht about teacher salaries across Estonia. It emerged that the highest average gross salary is in Narva-Jõesuu – over 3,100 euros per month – while the lowest is in Hiiumaa, where teachers earn on average just 1,950 euros.

But the problem was not in the numbers themselves. The programme noted that the low teacher salary in Hiiumaa was actually not a real problem – the island has beautiful nature, after all. And if a partner has a good income, then one can get by quite comfortably. Teacher Triin Viiron was halfway out the door when she heard this.

Was it a joke?

Viiron raises a simple but pointed question: was such a comment meant as a joke, said with a straight face, or was it tongue-in-cheek? The answer determines far more than simply the broadcaster's mood – it reflects society's attitude towards the value of educators.

Such remarks – that nature and a partner's income compensate for inadequate wages – are not uncommon, but they diminish the professional value of teaching. Work is work regardless of location, and pay should reflect the work done, not the regional scenery.

The wage gap among teachers

The difference of over 1,150 euros between Narva-Jõesuu and Hiiumaa raises a more serious question about regional inequality in the education system. Rather than discussing how to offset low wages with scenic views, we should be asking why this gap exists in the first place and how to narrow it.