In post-war Cyprus, if we exclude election rallies, the largest social mobilisations have taken place over the trade union rights of professional groups that not only are not weak or disadvantaged, but rank among the most privileged. There are many examples. The most striking were the large demonstrations by teachers in 2018, when thousands of educators reacted to the employment changes that would have resulted from the "rationalisation" of public education.
The issue of abolishing the teachers' appointment list, which became law in 2017 with a provision for implementation in 2027 so that the transition could take place smoothly and according to a plan, is once again straining relations between teachers and their employer. However, the problem is not only the disagreement over the appointment list or what was not done correctly to guide the country towards this important reform.
The problem is that public discussion about education is almost always exhausted by the employment concerns of teachers. This leaves aside the fundamental question that concerns society as a whole: What kind of school do we want? How will we upgrade public education? How will we modernise curricula? How will we strengthen students' critical thinking skills? How will we eliminate violence, bullying and drugs, which have already entered primary schools? How will we produce citizens who actively participate in society?
A need for radical modernisation
Education in Cyprus requires radical modernisation. Every new government overturns the plans of its predecessor and builds a new model of educational reform, while the previous one is never given the opportunity to demonstrate whether it succeeded or failed.
However, the most regrettable aspect of this "negotiation" is that the focus is never the quality of teaching, the human-centred school, children and the future of the country, but rather the acquired rights and privileges of teachers. This does not mean that labour rights are unimportant. Every professional group has the right to defend its interests.
What reforms are meant to achieve
What is far more important is to remember why educational reforms, such as the abolition of the appointment list, are being promoted. They aim to improve the quality of education through a system that is sustainable, fair and competitive, and that safeguards the academic qualifications of teachers and professors.
The goal is to create an opportunity for a better school. Education is a non-negotiable public good and cannot remain hostage to trade union disputes.
For this reason, we expect the discussion to shift from what teachers gain to what students and schools gain from the abolition of the appointment list, or from other reforms being promoted within the education system.
