Primary teacher’s union (Poed) said it was on board with teacher evaluations as long as these were conducted fairly and offer opportunities for professional growth.

The union said on Friday it hoped the ministry would carry out the “political decisions” needed to modernise all aspects of the school system, including staff evaluations.

Poed is proposing multiple sources of assessment for teachers in tandem with checks and balances, to ensure fairness and also avoid the “levelling” of all, union head Myria Vassiliou told the Cyprus News Agency.

Teachers should be viewed through a professional growth mindset and be given support as necessary, she said.

“We want a new evaluation system [providing for] a correct assessment [and] opportunities for competent teachers to develop.”

In the minority of cases where there is no improvement after support, the “relevant exit process” should kick in, Vassiliou added.

The union had been discussing evaluations with the ministry of education for a while, and a follow-up meeting is scheduled for next week to discuss an updated plan for schools, informed by teachers’ suggestions and concerns, the union leader said.

Poed aspired to be “part of the solution not the problem” through its constructive criticism, she added, and finances should not be become a sticking point.

“The issue of cost, the main reason why all [previous] efforts failed, should not once again put the brakes on the entire project,” Vassiliou said. 

Echoing concerns voiced last week by the secondary teacher’s union, Poed requested an urgent discussion of other outstanding topics, such as the matter of delinquency, and issues relating to the new appointment system, all-day schools, and substitute staffing.