Cypriot parliament updates teacher promotion criteria to include international military service

On October 22, 2026, the plenary of the Cypriot House of Representatives unanimously approved a law amending the Public Educational Service Law. The legislation revises the point-scoring criteria for teacher promotions to ensure that compulsory military service performed in Greece (ELDYK), the Greek Army, or the armed forces of any EU member state is weighted equally to service in the Cypriot National Guard. This change effectively ends a long-standing practice that penalized teachers from Greece regarding their ranking on appointment lists.

The initiative was originally proposed by members of parliament Pavlos Mylonas, Zacharias Koulias, and Christos Orphanides, and was later championed by Chrysanthos Savvides, Zacharias Koulias, and Panikos Leonidou. Proponents emphasized that the amendment is not a special privilege but a necessary measure to uphold the principle of equal treatment and remove documented inequalities. The Commissioner for Administration had previously issued a report highlighting the discriminatory nature of the former system.

The final bill was passed with 44 votes in favor following the integration of modifications requested by the Ministry of Education. These adjustments ensure full compliance with both the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus and European Union law, balancing the promotion system without disrupting existing hierarchies.