The Cabinet and teachers’ unions agreed that the average gross monthly wage for the teachers would become 650 leva, the union said after a meeting with Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev, Education Minister Plamen Oresharski and Education Minister Daniel Vulchev.

Non-pedagogical staff would also receive higher salaries, mediapool.bg reported.

The agreement would allow the school student to return to class on October 22 2007. The teachers went on strike on September 24 2007 and since then the students had classes only with those teachers who decided not to support the strike.

The salaries would be raised in November 2007 and twice more in 2008. Saved expenses in the education system would provide the money for the increases.

Oresharski said that an amendment would be made, according to which each school would have its own budget.

From January 2008, the subsidie per students, which schools receive from the ministry, would be increased by 200 leva. Currently it is an average of 900 leva per year.

Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev confirmed that the unions and the Cabinet positions came closer to one another and that they agreed on a change of the financing model for education, Focus news agency said.