"The number one challenge that public schools face on a daily basis today is the rising number of incidents of violence and disruptive behavior," said POED President Myria Vassiliou in an interview with CNA. However, she emphasized that public schools will continue to be resilient because they are supported by capable teachers who love children, love what they do, and often make up for all the shortcomings of the system, as she noted.

“Unfortunately, incidents of violence and delinquent behavior have increased; we see this in society as well. School is a microcosm of society,” said Ms. Vassiliou, emphasizing that there must be a focus on preventing and managing this phenomenon.

She also noted that certain structures need to be strengthened, both within the Ministry and in other relevant ministries, such as the Deputy Ministry of Welfare.

Ms. Vassiliou described the current situation in education as critical, noting that there are many challenges and many issues that should have been resolved yesterday. 

She also noted that this is a difficult period both for the teachers’ union and for the teaching profession itself.

In her interview with KYPE, the POED President addressed, among other things, the process for appointing teachers in public schools, the issue of substitute teachers, the new evaluation system, school violence, special education, and full-day programs.

Appointment system and POED’s decision to participate in dialogue once a proposal is submitted by the Ministry of Education

When asked about the pressing issue of teacher appointments and whether we are in for a “heated” educational summer, Ms. Vassiliou said that the challenges facing public schools are manifold, and are constantly increasing; at the same time, teachers feel left on their own to cope with and manage these challenges so that give children the opportunity to receive the education they deserve and are entitled to.

“As for whether this will be a ‘scorching’ summer, it looks like we’re continuing to have rain, so I don’t know if the mercury will rise any further. As for POED, the organization’s reaction was precisely to emphasize that enough is enough with the mockery—and I’m not using that word by accident,” he added.

He noted that we must continue to make the most of capable teachers, “by giving them the opportunity to contribute, because people want to contribute.”

He also said that the time constraints are such that there is no room for further delay or waiting.

“The schools of 2027 must serve our children, and we must find solutions to ensure there are teachers,” she added.

Ms. Vassiliou also addressed issues related to the prestige and dignity of teachers, as well as the problem arising from the shortage of teachers— a global phenomenon, noting that in Cyprus we are about to cancel a list that, for at least the past two years in elementary schools, has been the one enabling teacher appointments, because the list of eligible candidates is running out and we are relying entirely on the list of candidates for appointment.

“And we’re looking for other ways and other arrangements, with many questions, with many doubts about whether all these methods will hold up legally, in order to find teachers to place in schools,” he said.

“In other words, we’re canceling a list that includes teachers; if the legislation is implemented, we’ll be throwing these people—who are in the profession and tell you, ‘Yes, I’m here and I want to be here’—out onto the street. I love the profession, I love my job, I love the children, and I want to be here. We’re kicking them out, and then we’ll have to go looking for teachers,” she noted.

The POED President also referred to the lack of substitute teachers, as well as, more generally, the lack of interest among young people in pursuing a career in teaching, noting that there is a serious shortage, especially in optional full-day schools, and that the Education Service does not announce the positions that remain unfilled by teachers until November.

“So, there is already a documented problem, and we’re going to make that problem even worse. Why? The solution is right here. We’ve been trying it for 11 years now; we’ve seen it in action, and we’ve seen that it works. Teachers who wish to sit for the exams are placed on the list of eligible candidates, and there are pros and cons—and here, too, we need to see how the distortions can be corrected— “There is the list of candidates for appointment, which is created in the way we’re familiar with,” he added.

There are two lists that have been in use for 11 years now, enabling schools to staff their positions, he continued, and he questioned why any changes need to be made.

“Therefore, we call on the Ministry to finally take a practical look at what is happening, to see firsthand what works, what has been proven to work, and yes, our position is clear: both lists must remain, appointments must be made from both lists, and we must avoid solutions that, in our effort not to accept distortions or mistakes that were made, and in our effort to say that yes, what was done is good, etc., we end up creating something else that sounds worse or raises many—many—many questions, the kind that might even prevent the system from functioning,” he added.

Responding to a question about what would happen if their views were not heeded, Ms. Vassiliou said that the Ministry must first present a proposal that addresses all aspects so that, as educational organizations, they can study it.

She noted that they are also in communication with the other educational organizations, adding that as far as OELMEK is concerned, it appears to be aligning with POED’s position, because, if the legislation is implemented, certain specializations within OELMEK would also be left without teachers.

“In fields such as literature and mathematics, the same problem appears to exist as the one identified in elementary education. Therefore, we are in communication with the Ministry and are waiting to see what it will propose; certainly, through careful consideration, responsibility, and seriousness, we will determine what our next steps will be,” he said.

A warm summer is not an end in itself

He also emphasized that a hot summer is not an end in itself.

“Under no circumstances did POED set out to provoke any conflict or to make noise just for the sake of it. The facts are clear. The numbers speak for themselves. When you need more than 1,000 teachers to cover the needs of morning and afternoon schools, and the list of eligible candidates has only 300, I think even a elementary school child’s math can confirm that the numbers don’t add up. The situation is such that there’s no room for any other solution. “2027 is right around the corner—in other words, in one year, schools will need to be staffed—so I think the situation is clear,” he added.

Violence and Delinquency

When asked about the challenges currently facing public schools, Ms. Vassiliou said that the number one challenge they have to deal with on a daily basis is the rising number of incidents of violence and delinquent behavior.

“Unfortunately, they have increased—that is a fact—and we see this in society as well. School is a microcosm of society. Therefore, this is not something we did not expect based on the results of the survey conducted by POED,” he added, noting that there must be a focus on preventing and managing this phenomenon.

He also said that there are structures that need to be strengthened, both within the Ministry and in the relevant partner ministries, such as the Deputy Ministry of Welfare.

“We need support; our children need more assistance from the Ministry of Education and the Deputy Ministry of Welfare. If we want to truly support them, we all need to roll up our sleeves. Our children deserve so much. We must first and foremost consider the best interests of our children and support them,” she added.

Regarding the staffing shortage observed due to a lack of interest in the substitute teacher position, Ms. Vassiliou noted that “here too, POED took steps, proceeding to a meeting with the Minister of Labor, in an effort to resolve the issue regarding the fact that some of our substitute teachers are left without unemployment benefits during the Christmas and Easter breaks.”

He also said that they are trying to push for the working conditions of substitute teachers to be such that they do not act as a deterrent; they want to bring people together, they want new teachers to enter the system, to contribute, and to help ensure that during these winter months, schools are not brought to their knees by the current staffing shortages.

“The Ministry of Education has taken some steps in the right direction. Distortions in the appointment process have been corrected, with full-time positions now in place. This is positive, but there is still much room for improvement, given that we see a lack of interest in this area,” she added.

Ms. Vassiliou also addressed the issue of school buildings. “School buildings are also a key factor. School buildings must meet the needs of an education system in 2026. Things need to change; things need to improve—precisely to meet today’s needs,” she noted.

As for air conditioning, Ms. Vassiliou said that there is still a pending issue here as well.

“As we speak, summer schools are operating without air conditioning, with just one or two units, and with makeshift solutions implemented solely to prevent children from being exposed to extremely high temperatures,” she said.

As for the prefabricated classrooms, he noted that “we recognize that they are a stopgap solution,” adding that the student population is growing, especially in public kindergartens, and there is a need for proper planning on the part of the Ministry of Education. Special education schools, she continued, have also been filled with prefabricated classrooms.

“We know how important the outdoor space—the playground—is for a child attending a special education school; the playground—we hear about cases where playgrounds are being eliminated, outdoor spaces are being sacrificed to make room for prefabricated classrooms. This is precisely because the necessary planning regarding school buildings was either lacking or did not exist beforehand. So this, too, is an issue that particularly concerns us. Furthermore, there are no covered areas in schoolyards where temperatures reach 40 degrees and there is a lack of green space,” she added.

Furthermore, Ms. Vasileiou said that teachers are called upon every day to welcome, educate, and act as mothers, fathers, psychologists, grandparents, and social workers, etc.—for what is most precious to us as a society: our children.

Regarding special education and full-day programs, Ms. Vassiliou said that it is positive that an increase in full-day programs is being announced, however, this system needs support, and she mentioned the need for more full-time contracts, which will help ensure continuity between morning and afternoon school sessions.

Regarding special education, Ms. Vassiliou said that the Ministry and the current Minister have expressed their intention to update the existing legislation.

“From the very beginning, POED has expressed its willingness to assist in this effort. Unfortunately, for quite some time now, aside from the increase in the number of attendants, etc., which is necessary, we have not seen any other substantive changes to the legislation. “In the few meetings that took place following intense pressure from our organization, some positive developments were noted,” she added.

When asked about the issue of permanent teachers, Ms. Vassiliou said that this disparity and unequal treatment between permanent teachers and permanent public service employees is unacceptable

“A meeting was held in June, attended by the Minister of Education and the Director-General of the Ministry of Finance. I must say that the atmosphere was positive; this injustice seemed to be recognized, and an intention—a willingness—to examine this specific issue was noted, but we’re tired of just talk now; we want action; we want to see how what I previously described as a positive atmosphere is actually reflected in practice,” he added.

He also said that a joint letter from the teachers’ organizations had been sent to the Director General of the Ministry of Finance, requesting that a proposal be submitted in the very near future, and that the points discussed verbally be submitted to them in writing as well, so that “the best course of action can be taken to rectify this injustice—an injustice that I don’t think anyone would dispute exists.”

Regarding the evaluation of teachers, Ms. Vassiliou said that it is a major issue, “which, unfortunately, due to the way it was handled by the Ministry of Education—and I am referring to the Ministry’s public statements—led people to believe that we teachers do not want evaluation, nothing could be further from the truth; it was implied that there is no evaluation—again, nothing could be further from the truth.”

“A situation was created that, at the end of the day, undermined public education, but first and foremost the educators and all the work being done in public schools. Unfortunately, despite our objections, the new regulations were passed; in essence—and perhaps this was one of the reasons we were so vocal— essentially do not change what society, the public, and our teachers would expect to see changed,” he added.

He noted that there are serious outstanding issues, referring to the formative assessment included in the new regulations.

“Formative assessment is now to be conducted by 40 inspectors. How will these 40 people manage to handle this undertaking, when formative assessment has been added to their already heavy workload? How will senior educators be involved in formative assessment when—if at all—they are not scheduled to be promoted until 2027? “Unfortunately, this confirms what we’ve been saying: that laws and regulations are being passed solely to check a box, to show that this, too, has been dealt with in a perfunctory manner,” she noted.

Ms. Vassiliou emphasized that education is not a field where one can operate merely as a formality.

“Education is about the people involved—it’s the teachers, it’s the preschool teachers, it’s the special education teachers, it’s the children, it’s the school administrators who have to manage a thousand and two challenges every day and prioritize what we need to prioritize— namely the children, rather than getting bogged down in bureaucratic procedures—procedures that no one knows how to carry out,” she added.

When asked how she would describe the current state of education in one word, Ms. Vassiliou said she would call it “critical” “because there are so many challenges on so many issues that should have been resolved yesterday. There’s no time to spare. We’re not at five past the hour; we’re at 105 past the hour. “But if I were given the chance to zoom out and view our educational system over time—and because I’m an optimistic person by nature—I’d say it’s resilient,” she added.

He would insist on the word “resilient,” he noted, because despite the challenges, the shortcomings, the weaknesses, and the issues that require immediate attention, nevertheless, the education system is not faceless; it is the people—the teachers—who breathe life into it every day, who have managed to instill this resilience in the education system and help it function for so many years, providing education, shaping young minds, and bringing people into society.

Responding to a question, Ms. Vassiliou said that the “teacher” of the poet Kostis Palamas’s era bears no resemblance to today’s teacher, because societies change, challenges change, circumstances change, society’s demands on teachers change—these demands are increasing—and educators must constantly strive and adapt, “but unfortunately, this obligation often applies only to them and their own sense of responsibility and professionalism; in other words, they are often left to fend for themselves in doing what they must do every day in the classrooms.”

When asked what she would change about the education system if she were given the opportunity to do so tomorrow, Ms. Vassiliou said she would focus on the classroom.

When asked how she would rate the recently passed education reform, Ms. Vassiliou said that, for teachers, what has been passed is not a reform.

“And since a reform isn’t really a reform—because it doesn’t fundamentally change the existing system— the grade I would give it would clearly be a failing one—certainly below a 5 on a scale of 10,” she said.

Responding to a question, Ms. Vasileiou said that this is a period that is, unfortunately, difficult both for the teachers’ union and for the teaching profession, and that this is also reflected in the lack of interest among young people to enter the profession.

“So, this should give us all pause to think about how we can change this situation. Public schools will continue to be resilient because they are supported by capable teachers who love children, love what they do, and often make up for all the shortcomings of the system I mentioned earlier. “Public schools have contributed over time and will continue to do so; I believe what they have offered and continue to offer is documented there, reflected in generation after generation,” he added.

Finally, he emphasized that what public schools and their staff are asking for is for society and the state to stand by them and support them so they can do what we all want them to do: to raise future generations of children who will be active citizens, ready to support this country and move it forward, ready to support this country and to dream of a free homeland and a reunified Cyprus.