Education minister ‘won’t give in to strike threats’

Education Minister Athena Michaelidou made it clear she would not tolerate “tactics of the past” on Tuesday as teaching union Oelmek threatened it would take measures.

Speaking to state broadcaster CyBC, the education minister suggested she would not be bullied by the union tactics.

Michaelidou underlined dialogue is the way forward and she would not be dragged into past confrontational practices to solve problems in education.

Oelmek had sent a letter to the minister saying there were urgent matters that needed to be discussed, including end-of-year exams and study material.

It stressed that if a solution was not found within the timeframe, then measures would be taken.

The minister reiterated that all matters would be discussed in a meeting with the union later in the week.

Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis, meanwhile, told reporters that measures approved last year by the government saw huge changes to exams for senior students and a reduction of the material that was to be included in them.