Before meeting Education Minister Athena Michailidou one by one, Cyprus's three teachers' unions are sitting down together today.
POED, OELMEK and OLTEK are attempting to coordinate their positions at a time when two major issues, the proposed new teacher recruitment system and the implementation of the new teacher evaluation framework, are already testing their relationship with the Ministry of Education.
Today's meeting is particularly significant as it effectively marks the start of a week of successive consultations. OELMEK will meet the minister on 27 August, followed by POED on 31 August and OLTEK on 1 September.
At the centre of discussions is the future recruitment system, where initial readings of the ministry's proposal have already revealed concerns as well as differing approaches among the unions.
Countdown to change
Under legislation passed in 2015, the appointed candidates list will be abolished on 31 August 2027, ending the transitional system under which appointments are made equally from the appointed candidates list and the eligible candidates list.
The proposal circulated by the Ministry of Education at the end of July seeks to address what comes next, while giving priority to teachers already working in public education.
The proposal includes the creation of a temporary register for substitute and contract teachers, with a specific duration and objective criteria.
For permanent appointments, candidates would continue to be assessed through examinations and ranking procedures.
The ministry is also proposing changes to recruitment examinations, including:
- The abolition of the minimum pass mark.
- The removal of complex statistical processing methods.
- A revision of examination papers.
- A new examination every three years, beginning in 2027.
Different reactions from unions
The unions have not responded uniformly to the proposal.
POED has argued in favour of maintaining the current system while correcting distortions in the recruitment examinations.
OELMEK has sought further clarifications and safeguards for teachers.
OLTEK supports abolishing the appointed candidates list and moving to a new merit-based examination system.
Despite those differences, all three organisations have called for clarification on several aspects of the proposal.
For its part, the Ministry of Education views the document as a basis for dialogue, with Michaelidou describing firm positions taken before substantive discussions as premature.
Teacher evaluation also on agenda
The already crowded discussion is further complicated by the issue of teacher evaluation.
Under legislation adopted in December 2025, implementation of the formative evaluation system must begin during the 2026-2027 school year.
This element of the new framework is intended primarily as a supportive and developmental tool, helping identify teachers' strengths, weaknesses and professional development needs.
It is not the part of the system linked to numerical assessment or promotion decisions.
The ministry has made clear that launching formative evaluation is a legal obligation and therefore cannot be suspended.
According to ministry officials, what remains open to discussion is how the system will be implemented during the transition period.
Unions seek postponement
The three unions argue that the necessary conditions for implementation have not yet been created.
Among their concerns is the absence of senior education officers and inspector advisers, who are assigned key responsibilities under the new evaluation model.
As a result, the unions are calling for implementation to be postponed until 2027, when the relevant positions are expected to be advertised and filled.
