Education Minister Athina Michailidou expressed surprise at today’s protests by teachers’ organizations against the new appointment framework, emphasizing that dialogue is already underway. Following the Cabinet meeting, she clarified that the demand for automatic tenure cannot be accepted, while noting that the vast majority of teachers’ requests have already been met.
“We are already in the process of dialogue”
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Athina Michailidou stated that the Ministry is already in a process of dialogue with teachers and that, as a result, it is surprising that protests are taking place. At the heart of the disagreement is the method by which teachers will be appointed. For the Ministry, as Ms. Michailidou noted, the issue is fundamental and linked to the need to address the distortions that have arisen in recent years. She recalled that in 2015, it was decided to abolish the list of candidates for appointment, noting that problems and distortions had arisen over the course of this decade, which the government is now attempting to correct.
How Appointments Will Be Made
The Minister of Education argued that the new model ensures that teachers already working in schools will not lose their jobs. Specifically, a closed registry will be created, from which 50% of appointments will be drawn, while the remaining 50% will come from the list of eligible candidates. Subsequently, as she noted, there will be the possibility of permanent employment.
Ms. Michailidou further argued that the new system offers more opportunities to teachers already serving in schools compared to the current system. At the same time, the registry will have no expiration date. In other words, teachers will not be forced out of the profession after a specific period of time has elapsed, but will remain in the system until they secure indefinite-term status or become tenured.
Automatic Tenure: A Sticking Point
The point of contention remains the demand for automatic permanent status. The Minister was clear that this cannot happen, noting that automatic permanent appointment is not standard practice in the public sector. At the same time, Athina Michailidou argued that the vast majority of teachers’ demands have been met and that this specific issue is essentially the only one that remains unresolved. Given this, she described the reaction from teachers as “exaggerated.”
Proposals due by Wednesday
The dialogue, however, remains open. The Minister of Education stated that she is awaiting the teachers’ proposals by next Wednesday so that the discussion on the new framework can continue. The goal, according to the Ministry, is to correct the distortions that have arisen in the appointment system without jeopardizing the career prospects of teachers already serving in schools.
