| Summary: | Teacher Wage Initiative is a government grant awarded to the school principals in order to implement a salary increase to the specially qualified teachers, preschool teachers and recreation instructors for the teaching that they conduct. This funding should be seen as a step in the state's efforts to increase the attractiveness and the willingness to seek to the teaching profession and the purpose to raising its status in relation to other professions. In the wake of this reform, teachers, politicians and the press launched a virulent debate about the Swedish school, its educational quality and an alleged decline in teaching standards. An often-proposed solution is, like in the private sector, market-based salary structure, to base teacher salaries on the accomplishments and track record to attract, retain and motivate teachers in the profession. There is a general delight that the government makes this unique focus on teachers as a profession but is also met with great frustration and irritation. How is it that a reform that aims to give teachers more money and higher status are met, not least from the teachers, with such tremendous skepticism and criticism?
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