All-day schools face staffing shortfall of about 10 per cent, MPs told

Nicosia, Cyprus. All-day schools across primary and secondary education continue to face a staffing shortfall of approximately 10 per cent, the House education committee heard on Wednesday. MPs called for earlier teacher appointments and greater certainty for families about when schools would open.

Expansion and staffing needs

Diko MP Chrysanthos Savvides, who chairs the committee, said the programme had expanded from nine school units at its launch in 1999 to 383 today. Pupil participation had increased from 7,000 to 18,000.

Savvides credited the education ministry with positive work but called for the staffing shortfall to be resolved by next year. A fresh appointments list had been drawn up in an effort to address the shortage.

He also reported interest from technical and vocational schools, although they had no units available.

Calls for earlier appointments

Akel MP Christos Christofides urged the ministry to ensure that all-day schools begin operating when the term starts and that teachers receive their assignments before summer ends.

He said parents who had arranged for their children to attend these schools could not be left uncertain about childcare arrangements for roughly a month.

The committee heard that delayed recruitment was drawing teachers away from full-time schools and private schools. Private schools had reported shutting classes after teachers departed during the school year.

Contract changes proposed

Disy MP Prodromos Alampritis said progress had been made, noting that optional all-day schools were now opening one week earlier.

However, he said requests had yet to be submitted for 90 teaching positions at optional all-day schools. He called for teachers to learn their September placements by June and proposed changing most contracts to 29 hours to make them more appealing to teachers.