OELMEK opposes proposed teacher appointment reforms in Cyprus

The Central Administrative Council of OELMEK met with Athina Michailidou, a political official from the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth, to seek clarifications regarding a working document aimed at modernizing the teacher appointment system.

OELMEK President Konstantinos Konstantinou expressed serious disagreements with certain provisions in the proposal submitted by the Ministry on July 29, 2026. The union emphasized that any changes to the appointment system must not result in the victimization of educators. Konstantinou argued that indefinite-term teachers, contract workers, and substitutes who have supported public education must have real prospects for permanent employment.

If the new system cannot guarantee these protections, OELMEK maintains that the existing List of Appointees should be preserved to protect those who have already followed established state procedures and examinations.