Education Minister Michaelidou will not back down on teacher appointment reform
Education Minister Athena Michaelidou said the government is preparing an updated proposal for reforming the system for appointing teachers to permanent positions in public schools. Education unions, meanwhile, oppose the changes, which they believe could disadvantage teachers with many years of experience.
As Cyprus Mail reports, following a meeting of the parliamentary education committee, Michaelidou spoke about consultations with education organisations. The ministry intends to complete work on the proposal in the autumn, ahead of the planned abolition of the current appointment list on September 1, 2027.
Transition to an exam-based system
The current system allows teachers to add themselves to the appointment list and wait for a permanent position at a public school. Legislation provides for the gradual replacement of this mechanism with an exam-based system; the transition period is due to end in 2027.
Michaelidou stressed that the government will not abandon the reform. According to her, the authorities seek to eliminate problems that emerged during the transition while retaining exams for appointments to permanent positions.
The minister said the content and validity of the exams will be reviewed so that they properly assess the required skills. There are no plans to change the difficulty level of the exams. The new procedure is also to take into account the experience of teachers working in public education on contracts or as substitutes.
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Employees who already have open-ended contracts will continue working. At the same time, teachers seeking a permanent position must go through the procedure via exams.
Union objections
Poed union president Myria Vasileiou said the organisation would react decisively if the reform disadvantaged educators who have supported the work of public schools for years. She also argues that abolishing the appointment list in 2027 could cause staffing difficulties.
Oelmek union president Konstantinos Konstantinou believes that the ministry's working document does not sufficiently protect teachers. He questioned the need for exams for experienced educators whom the ministry currently considers “excellent”.
At the same time, the ministry is preparing broader changes in education, including a reform of teacher evaluation and a bill on special education, which is expected to be submitted to parliament this month.
