Why do Russian teachers earn so little? Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev explains.

Earlier today at a public forum, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was asked why young teachers in Dagestan earn salaries roughly five times lower than what police officers are paid (roughly 12,500 rubles, or $188, a month versus 50,000 rubles per month, or $750). Meduza summarizes how the prime minister responded, and shares the full text of his answer.

Meduza's short version:

Things are the same as they used to be. I used to work at a university, too. Instructors aren't limited to one salary; they can earn money elsewhere, too. And, really, if it's money you're interested in, you ought to go into business. You chose not to? Well, there you go.

Dmitry Medvedev’s full answer:

When I graduated from university, I became a young teacher. I earned 90 rubles [a month]. A police lieutenant earned 250. This is how it was. The work that the police do, furthermore, is also difficult and dangerous—particularly in Dagestan. So we don't need to be making comparisons here.

The question is about what you choose in life. I faced this, too, when I finished my undergraduate studies. I had a choice: I could go to graduate school and take the small stipend, or I could have gone—I'd been invited to come—straight into the prosecutor's office or the police, where the starting pay was 250 rubles, which was good money. And this was just the entry rank; later, you could add stars to your uniform. 

But I chose graduate school, because I believed this to be more important for me. Every person chooses what's important to them in life.

And, you know, I'm sure that any energetic teacher today is capable of earning not just the salary penciled into their official schedule, but also something extra. When I was once a young teacher, I worked in a department, reading lots of lectures, holding seminars, and somehow I managed to make ends meet.

And, finally, of course we're not renouncing the policy decisions tied to raising pay for teachers and university instructors. But it's important to note that it's impossible to achieve everything immediately. And we've got to accept that there needs be a difference between the salaries earned by an assistant, who just recently graduated from university, and a professor. There must be a gap in order to create competition.

But the most important point, I repeat, is that this remains a personal choice. I am often asked this question about school teachers and professors. [Teaching] is a calling. And if you want to earn money, there are lots of lovely ways to do this faster and more efficiently—like business, for example. But you didn't go into business, now did you? Well then… [Laughter]