Education Minister Athena Michaelidou has defended plans to abolish the long-standing teacher appointment list, saying the reform will protect the rights of experienced educators while creating opportunities for new entrants to the profession.
Responding on Saturday to criticism over the planned abolition of the appointment register, Michaelidou said no one who has worked in the profession for years would be excluded under the proposed system.
"No one has left out people who have worked," she said, urging stakeholders to wait for the ministry's final proposal, which is expected to be presented by the end of July.
"It is important that we participate in a dialogue so that we can jointly shape the final proposals," she added.
Reform debated for a decade
Michaelidou noted that the abolition of the appointment list is not a new policy but one that has been under discussion for the past 10 years.
"If strong reactions were to be expected, they should have come over the past decade if we wanted to have a different outcome today," she said.
She stressed that the government's approach is to proceed through consultation while recognising the years of service accumulated by teachers who have already worked in schools.
At the same time, she said, the education system must also provide opportunities for thousands of younger graduates seeking to enter the teaching profession.
"We hear these concerns, and we stand alongside those expressing them," she said.
'The system cannot continue'
Michaelidou said the existing appointment list could no longer remain in place, arguing that without reform the same issues would re-emerge within a few years.
"This cannot continue. The appointment list must be abolished," she said, adding that experienced teachers would be given opportunities to transition into the new system.
She said the ministry was seeking a balanced solution that would continue to recognise teaching experience while retaining competitive examinations as an important recruitment tool, with improvements to address shortcomings in the current framework.
The minister said the written proposal would be submitted to stakeholders by the end of July, with consultations continuing until October before the legislation is presented to parliament.
"The ministry will always listen to structured and specific proposals so that we can achieve the best possible outcome for everyone," she said.
Student engagement
Speaking separately at the annual conference of the Cyprus Federation of Student Unions (POFEN), Michaelidou said young people should play a greater role in shaping government policy.
She said the government's recent experience during Cyprus's Presidency of the Council of the European Union had reinforced the importance of involving young people throughout the policymaking process.
"Our young people should not simply be present," she said. "They should participate before policies are formulated, throughout their development, and in their implementation and evaluation."
Michaelidou said she would use the conference to outline the government's priorities for young people and student organisations.
Source: CNA
