Yesterday’s parliamentary Education Committee’s meeting was dominated by discussions on contract teachers’ placements, delays in school staffing, and a record number of teacher objections.
The session also witnessed tensions between the Education Service Commission (ESC) Chairman, Panayiotis Antoniou, and POED (Teachers’ Union) over a letter sent by POED alleging procedural irregularities.
Antoniou revealed a record 1,950 teacher objections to transfers and placements, complicating the school staffing process and causing a two-week delay this year. He underscored the importance of timely preparation for each academic year and the ESC’s efforts to streamline the process.
The ESC plans to advertise all contract teacher positions by school district based on needs from the next academic year, contingent on timely information from the Ministry of Education.
Addressing complaints about distant placements for contract teachers, Antoniou advocated for modernising regulations. He acknowledged diligent teachers who accept placements without protest but emphasised the need to address evolving social needs and update procedures.
Official figures showed 305 teachers were offered indefinite-term contracts, with 1,154 permanent appointments and 2,923 contracts made. There were 215 non-acceptances of permanent appointments, 16 of indefinite-term contracts, and 351 related to contracts.
The meeting began with Antoniou expressing frustration at POED’s letter, accusing them of procedural irregularities. He asserted that while the ESC maintains a good working relationship with POED, he felt the Committee was being used to serve other interests.
POED’s president, Myria Vassiliou, swiftly responded, stating the union would provide explanations for the letter without apologising.
She said Antoniou had been verbally informed last Friday and that POED had raised concerns since August about teachers feeling wronged, providing specific cases and questioning ESC procedures.
