Education Minister confirms new teacher appointment bill despite union opposition

Education Minister Athena Michaelidou announced on Friday that the government will submit a bill regarding a new teacher appointment system to parliament by late November or early December. Speaking after presenting the ministry’s 2027 budget to the House finance committee, Michaelidou rejected the teachers' unions’ unilateral declaration of a deadlock as problematic, confirming that the reform will proceed as planned.

The minister highlighted that the issue of appointment lists was originally settled by legislation in 2015, which introduced a controversial 12-year transitional period. She argued that this period created systemic distortions that the government is now attempting to correct. While acknowledging the need to protect educators who have been working for years, Michaelidou emphasized that the interests of new candidates who pass formal examinations must also be safeguarded to ensure fairness.

Despite the unions' decision to appeal to President Nikos Christodoulides and the threat of escalating industrial action, the Ministry of Education maintains that no steps backward will be taken. The government intends to finalize the legislative process to ensure continuity and stability within the education sector reform efforts.