A new development has emerged regarding the appointment of Minister of Agriculture Maria Panayiotou to the public education system. According to information, the minister has sent a letter to the Educational Service Commission, through her lawyer, requesting a further suspension of her appointment on grounds of public interest.
The request follows a previous one year suspension granted in August 2025. At the beginning of February 2026, Ms Panayiotou was again included in the list of appointees published by the Educational Service Commission. In its announcement, the Commission called on the educators listed to declare by 20 February whether they accepted or declined their appointment, which is due to take effect on 1 September 2026.
Instead of accepting or rejecting the appointment, the minister submitted a new request for suspension. The matter is expected to be examined by the Commission in the coming days.
Legal Framework On Appointment Suspensions
The current legal framework provides for the possibility of suspending an appointment only once. If, following the lapse of the suspension period, an educator does not accept the appointment, they are removed from the list of appointees and cannot be reinstated. This provision applies uniformly, regardless of the reasons invoked by the individual concerned.
According to information, there is strong concern within the Educational Service Commission, with the majority of its members reportedly negative towards granting a second suspension. Such a decision would move beyond the letter of the law and could set a precedent for similar cases in the future.
Previous Suspension In 2025
In August 2025, when Ms Panayiotou was first appointed as a secondary education philology teacher, she requested a one year suspension citing public interest due to her ministerial duties. The request was unanimously approved by the Educational Service Commission.
The applicable legislation provides for suspension of appointment primarily on grounds of health, pregnancy or continuation of studies. Nevertheless, the Commission examines other requests on a case by case basis, including educators who permanently reside abroad and receive an appointment shortly before the start of the school year. In those cases as well, suspension is granted for only one year.
Questions Over Validity Of Appointment
Further questions arise regarding the timing of the appointment. Ms Panayiotou’s appointment is made through the list of appointees, which will be abolished on 31 August 2027.
If a new suspension is granted, the appointment would be transferred to 1 September 2027, a date on which the specific list will no longer be in force.