POED, OELMEK, OLTEK, KTÖS, KTOEÖS and DAU-SEN marked ten years of working together under Education International (EI) and the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE). At a joint press conference at the Home for Cooperation in Nicosia’s buffer zone, POED Secretary-General Charis Charalambous and KTÖS Secretary-General Burak Maviş read a common declaration honouring the “irreplaceable role of teachers, who, both in Cyprus and around the world, dedicate their lives to shaping future generations.”
The message for World Teachers’ Day
Under the global slogan “Together for teachers, together for tomorrow,” the organisations called on governments to invest meaningfully in teachers and education, framing it as the surest route to a “peaceful, just and sustainable future.” They tied their appeal to momentum built since the “Go Public! Fund Education” campaign and the 2022 UN Transforming Education Summit, noting that the 2024 UN recommendations and this year’s Santiago Agreement in Chile were “important steps forward.” “On the occasion of World Teachers’ Day, we reaffirm our commitment to continue working together to build on these achievements and gains,” the statement said.
Funding, shortages and a warning for Cyprus
The unions argued that too often “financial resources are allocated elsewhere, while our schools face shortages and teachers struggle with limited resources,” asserting that education must be prioritised “as a public good.” They highlighted a global shortfall of 50 million teachers that “seriously jeopardises the right to education.” Charalambous cautioned that, despite a current surplus on the Greek Cypriot side, Cyprus could face a teacher shortage by 2027 due to legislation passed by the House of Representatives. Stop-gap or technological fixes will not substitute for the “human and interpersonal” nature of education, they stressed, making “primary and immediate investment in teachers” essential for quality.
Marking the tenth anniversary of their Cooperation Agreement signed in 2015 under ETUCE auspices, the six organisations said they carry a “shared responsibility to build a better future” by teaching peace, democracy and justice. Asked about the durability of the partnership and their message to political leaders, Charalambous said union cooperation has been good for thirty years, without disputes: “This is a good message to all Cypriots… Our will is to create a common homeland. We are not interested in two separate states, but in a common state.”
Maviş recalled seeing early photos of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot teachers meeting for the first time at POED’s offices: “There are difficulties, but we are resolving them through dialogue, and that is an important message.” He noted the joint declaration includes rotating representation of the six organisations in ETUCE. “If teachers can do it, it sends a message that politicians can too,” he said.
The unions linked their education agenda to Cyprus’s broader future, reiterating that their priority is the reunification of the island in a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation. By pairing a call for investment in teachers with a practical record of cross-community cooperation, they set out education not only as a public good but also as a bridge for reconciliation.
CNA
