The proposal by the Ministry of Education, Sports, and Youth does not comply with the decisions of the Organization’s Pan-Cyprian Conference of General Representatives (PSGA) of the Organization and creates new distortions, OELMEK states in a press release.
OELMEK reviewed today, Friday, the working document submitted by the Ministry of Education regarding the modernization of the Teacher Appointment System and calls on the Ministry of Education to seriously consider the decisions of the Pan-Cyprian Conference of General Delegates and to return with a revised proposal, which effectively addresses the distortions of the current system without creating new injustices or victimizing any category of teachers.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
According to its statement, the Organization does not deny the need to change the Appointment System; on the contrary, it considers its reform to be now essential.
It notes, however, that the reform cannot be planned solely in terms of immediately meeting staffing needs.
OELMEK also states that it will participate creatively and responsibly in the dialogue, submitting specific and well-documented proposals for an Appointment System that combines meritocracy, transparency, and the maintenance of high standards in teacher selection with the substantive protection of those already serving and the effective staffing of public schools.
It makes it clear, however, that if these basic conditions are not guaranteed, it will not remain passive and will react forcefully, utilizing all legal means at its disposal to defend the rights of teachers and the public school system.
As OELMEK states in its announcement, the first and most important conclusion is that the Ministry of Education itself now officially acknowledges that the Appointment System established in 2015 contains serious flaws and that its full implementation, as originally planned, creates serious problems in staffing public schools.
“The working document itself refers, among other things, to the insufficient number of successful candidates in key subject areas, to the distortions caused by the current examination process, the need to revise key pillars of the current system, as well as the need to ensure an adequate number of teaching staff after 2027. “These findings confirm what OELMEK has consistently maintained in recent years,” he adds.
He notes that the organization had warned that the full implementation of the 2015 legislation would lead to a dead end, both in terms of school staffing and the job prospects of thousands of teachers.
“The current situation confirms this reality. For example, in the 2026–2027 school year alone, more than 300 appointments of Classics teachers have already been made, while only 23 successful candidates were available on the Appointment Lists,” he states. Similarly, he adds, “nearly 250 appointments of mathematics teachers were made, while there were only 80 successful candidates available on the Appointment Lists.”
“It is, therefore, obvious that without the transitional safety net provided by the Lists of Eligible Candidates, staffing schools in these—as well as other—specializations would not merely be problematic; in many cases, it would be objectively impossible,” he adds.
Unfortunately, OELMEK notes, these warnings were not heeded in a timely manner.
“The official acknowledgment of the need for a substantive revision of the legislation comes just one year before the end of the transition period, a fact that makes the decisions to be taken particularly critical,” it continues.
He notes that treating the abolition of the Appointee Lists as a given and unchangeable starting point, despite the fact that it is directly linked to the inability to adequately staff key specialties, leads the Ministry to seek new mechanisms for entry into the Appointment System, which substantially diverge from the original philosophy of the New Appointment System.
“The transition after 2027 must, therefore, be evaluated comprehensively, based on actual staffing data, meritocracy, and the quality of the system, as well as the working conditions of teachers currently in service,” it states.
OELMEK believes that an immediate amendment to the legislation is now necessary. “The goal, however, is not simply to change the legislation. The goal is to change it correctly,” it adds.
In its statement, OELMEK notes that it evaluated the Ministry’s proposal in light of the decisions of the Pancyprian Conference of General Representatives (PSGA), the organization’s highest governing body.
The Ministry’s proposal, OELMEK continues, provides for the abolition of the Lists of Appointees and the creation of a temporary closed registry.
“However, this registry does not provide for permanent appointments, but only for appointments of teachers on indefinite-term contracts, contract teachers, or substitute teachers. Consequently, teachers who join this registry will not retain the right to permanent tenure. The proposed registry essentially functions as a temporary mechanism for meeting staffing needs. It does not constitute job security and does not comply with the PSGA’s decision regarding a guaranteed path to permanent status,” he adds.
It also notes that the proposal stipulates that those who have already qualified for the Appointment Lists will be included in new unified lists alongside candidates who will be evaluated under a different system.
OELMEK believes that such a provision raises serious issues of equality and fairness.
It notes that the actual performance of teaching duties—which has been utilized by the State itself to meet the real and ongoing needs of public schools— constitutes substantial evidence of professional competence.
“It must, therefore, be given due consideration through specific transitional provisions that will provide guaranteed employment prospects and the possibility of permanent employment,” it states, noting, among other things, that “the concept of ‘guarantee’ adopted by the Ministry’s proposal differs substantially from that decided upon by the OELMEK Central Executive Committee.”
It further states that the provision for a new written exam every three years, with a limited validity period for the scores obtained and the re-entry of teachers into the examination and ranking process, introduces a regime of constant uncertainty regarding examinations and employment.
Conclusion – OELMEK’s Position
OELMEK views it as positive that the Ministry recognizes, albeit belatedly, the need to revise the 2015 legislation and the distortions that have arisen from its implementation.
“This specific proposal, however, does not align with the decisions of the PSGA regarding safeguards for affected teachers and, at the same time, introduces new provisions that exacerbate uncertainty and create new distortions and injustices,” it notes.
“OELMEK’s final position is clear: As long as the decisions of the PSGA and the rights of all affected teachers are not guaranteed, the abolition of the Lists of Appointees in 2027 cannot be accepted,” he adds.
OELMEK calls on the Ministry of Education to take the PSGA’s decisions seriously into account and to return with a revised proposal, one that effectively addresses the distortions of the current system without creating new injustices or victimizing any category of teachers.
It also states that it does not deny the need to change the Appointment System.
“On the contrary, it considers that reforming the system is now essential. However, reform cannot be planned solely in terms of immediately meeting staffing needs. A permanent, sustainable, merit-based, and predictable framework is required, which, on the one hand, will offer real prospects to young teachers in a secure work environment and, on the other hand, will substantively recognize the teaching experience of contract teachers, substitute teachers, and permanent teachers, by providing them with secure career prospects and the opportunity for permanent employment,” he adds.
At the same time, OELMEK states, the government must immediately proceed with the approval of additional permanent positions in education, in order to reduce the job insecurity experienced by hundreds of teachers who have been serving in public schools for years.
According to OELMEK, the Ministry bears the primary institutional responsibility for the fact that this discussion is taking place just one year before the end of the transition period, despite the warnings and problems that had been documented in previous years.
“The critical nature of the current situation calls for a substantive and sincere dialogue, free of dogmatism and preconceived positions, with flexibility and a willingness to adapt to the realities and needs of public schools,” he adds.
He also notes that he will closely monitor developments and will continue, through dialogue, to responsibly and consistently advocate for the positions he has put forward for a fair transition.
“We make it clear, however, that if these basic conditions are not met, OELMEK will not remain passive and will react forcefully, utilizing all legal means at its disposal to defend the rights of teachers and public schools,” the statement concludes.
Source: KYPE
