Cyprus teacher unions discuss new educator appointment system

Teacher unions in Cyprus, including POED, OELMEK, and OLTEK, are meeting on August 25, 2026, to coordinate their response to a proposal from the Ministry of Education regarding a new educator appointment system. The unions have been reviewing the proposal since late July and aim to establish a unified position before holding individual meetings with Minister of Education Athena Michaelidou, scheduled between August 27 and September 1, 2026.

A key focus for the unions is ensuring that existing legislation is modified to protect current educators, specifically those serving as substitutes, from being marginalized or victimized by the new registry-based system. The urgency stems from the fact that current legislation from 2015 dictates the abolition of the existing appointment list on August 31, 2027, which currently operates on a 50/50 split between different appointment categories. The transition to the new system is critical for staffing public schools after this date, and the unions are currently balancing these discussions alongside concerns regarding new teacher evaluation procedures.