Teacher resigns after 15 years: 'Vocation doesn't pay the bills'

After 15 years dedicated to teaching, a Romanian professor has announced his departure from the education system, citing a profound disillusionment with the profession's current state. Professor Cristian Tudorache stated on the educational website 'La Tablă' that he is leaving not due to a lack of passion, but because he refuses to sacrifice his dignity any longer.

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I am leaving not because I no longer love my profession. I am leaving because I no longer want to sacrifice my dignity for it.

Tudorache enumerated five key reasons for his decision. A primary concern is the logistical burden of completing his teaching hours. He described his schedule not as a series of classes, but as a 'map of roads' he must travel daily, often commuting between different schools. This fragmented workload, he explained, transforms a single teaching position into multiple jobs, compounded by the administrative tasks and the stress of daily travel.

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I refuse to run between schools just to complete my workload.

He also highlighted the financial strain, noting that hourly pay, after deductions, falls below 20 lei (approximately $4 USD). Recent legislative changes, such as Law No. 141/2025, increased teaching hours while reducing those compensated separately by hourly rates, exacerbating the financial pressure on educators.

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After 15 years of teaching, I am not asking for privileges. But I demand that experience count.

Furthermore, Tudorache feels that his 15 years of experience are not adequately valued. He argued that accumulated professional knowledge, including managing student conflicts, identifying learning difficulties, and adapting lessons to real-world classroom dynamics, goes unrecognized beyond a basic job description. The professor expressed a desire to be a dedicated member of a single school community rather than a 'commuter between desks for peanuts.'

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Calculate how much the net pay per hour is, less than 20 lei.