Nicosia, Cyprus. Education Minister Athena Michaelidou said the planned abolition of the teachers’ appointment list would not exclude educators with previous experience, as the ministry prepares to present its final reform proposal at the end of July.
She said the government would pursue dialogue with teachers’ organisations and other stakeholders while acknowledging concerns raised by educators who have worked under the current system.
Dialogue and reform
Michaelidou said participation in dialogue was important to jointly formulate final positions on the proposed changes.
The appointment list, which has governed teacher recruitment for years, has faced renewed opposition over plans for its abolition. Teachers’ groups have expressed concern about the effect on educators who have accumulated service while awaiting permanent appointments.
Previous service and examinations
The minister said the issue had been under discussion for a decade and that the current system could not continue. She said any new system would need to address both teachers already working in schools and younger candidates seeking to enter the profession.
Michaelidou said examinations would remain a recruitment tool, while previous service would also be taken into account.
She said the ministry must consider not only people who have worked in schools in recent years, but also thousands of young people seeking to enter the profession. She rejected suggestions that experienced teachers would be left without options, saying no one who had worked would be excluded.
