Poed’s decision to reject the teacher evaluation scheme strengthens our position that the issue was never lack of dialogue, but resistance to change, Education Minister Athena Michaelidou told Rik ahead of Friday’s House education committee meeting.

The organisation’s 100-member council convened on Thursday to review the education ministry’s latest amendments to the teacher evaluation reform bill, ultimately rejecting the proposal, arguing that the new changes did not stem from agreed dialogue between the teachers’ union and the ministry.

Poed president Myria Vasiliou said the union’s decision would be sent on Friday to the House education committee in writing. She explained that despite consultations, disagreements persist over the headmaster’s role in numerical evaluations and the functions of the monitoring committee.

The position of teachers’ union Oelmek on the updated provisions of the reform bill remains unchanged from its stance expressed in the last committee session, according to the union’s president Demetris Taliadoros

Taliadoros said the bill contained “grey areas” and contradictions, especially regarding the headmaster’s role.

The reform bill, he said, assigned duties to secondary administrators despite the absence of pedagogical advisors or assistant principals, adding that several other factors also made the project difficult, if not impossible, to implement.

He added that Oelmek has requested a meeting with other educational organisations for coordination, expected to take place in the coming days.

Michaelidou said that extensive consultations had already taken place and that “we reached significant agreements over the past year of discussions.”

She emphasised that the evaluation reform was essential and should be implemented as soon as possible, pointing out the need to revitalise public schools, boost motivation and ensure ongoing teacher support.

“We cannot leave children and teachers trapped in the existing system, which has received minimal modifications for fifty years,” she stressed.

“The issue concerns resistance to change” she explained, but at this point, as a state, “we have the obligation to take the next step, which is the democratic discussion in parliament and the eventual vote.”

“This is the only solution,” she added. “The alternative would be a regression to the 1970s.”

While Oltek’s decision was still pending and expected on Friday, concerns extended beyond teachers’ unions.

Beyond union opposition, those responsible for implementing the evaluation scheme also expressed reservations.

The secondary education inspectors branch (Keme) of Pasydy, who will be the main bodies responsible for applying the scheme, stressed their support for improving educational quality “provided that evaluation will function as a tool for improvement and not as a bureaucratic mechanism.”

They added: “Evaluation is dialogue, trust and support; not punishment.”

Keme stressed that inspectors already handle a wide range of duties such as guiding teachers, conducting evaluations, supervising exams, overseeing curricula and managing administrative tasks, and despite added responsibilities like monitoring school violence prevention plans and student transitions, staffing levels have remained unchanged.

“Essential formative support for teachers, which is the heart of the reform, cannot be implemented without sufficient time and staff,” the union branch said.

They criticised the education ministry’s proposal to add 24 positions as undocumented and warned that splitting inspectors’ roles into “evaluator” and “consultant” would increase workloads and disrupt continuity.

The union branch demands staffing increases proportional to school and teacher numbers, a unified advisor-evaluator role to ensure consistent evaluation, clear quality-focused criteria and a transparent complaints process involving knowledgeable inspectors.

“We are not asking for privileges, but for essential conditions to do their job properly,” Keme said.