Wage Watchers: How much does a hotel school teacher earn?

What do you do for work?
I give classes on wine and other drinks at the hotel school in Ghent. In the third year, I give classes on water, soft drinks, coffee, tea, the non-alcoholic beverages and the basics of alcoholic fermentation. In the fourth year, students learn to recognise the tastes of alcoholic drinks, and the last two years are mainly about wine. This is about being able to recognise grape varieties because that is more and more what choosing wines in restaurants is all about.

Do you like your job?
It is my passion; I’ve been able to make a career out of my hobby. To work every day with food and drink, I could only have dreamed of that. Still, the job of a teacher is underestimated. We have a lot of administrative work. Currenlty, we have to provide reports on everything. If we give a comment to a student, we need to put that down on paper. You have to be careful how you phrase things, and your documents must be airtight, because parents might want documented evidence. That is a big difference from the past.

What do you think of your income?
Because I’m tenured, I get the same monthly salary the whole year, even in the vacation months. I earn €1,881 net per month. I was very lucky that I got tenure after teaching for three years - the accompanying financial security and good pension are the biggest benefits to me. Another plus of working in education is that you can do things on the side. I also help in my partner’s business, a station buffet, and am OCMW (Public Welfare Centre) president and a town council member.

What’s your biggest cost?
The loan for our house in Waarschoot.

What do you like spending money on?
Guess. Going out to eat! We usually go for an extensive gastronomic menu.

What do you dream of doing?
Going on a big trip again. Australia, New Zealand, Chile – there you find wonderful Chilean wines… This year we’re staying in Europe: We want to escape our busy lives by going and sitting in Djerba and doing nothing.

photo courtesy www.taptoe.be