After a year of difficult discussions, Cyprus’s Education Committee is getting closer to an agreement on a new way to evaluate teachers. The committee’s leader, Pavlos Mylonas, said he is very hopeful. He explained that they are making progress and writing changes to the plan. The government wants to modernize the system, but teacher unions strongly disagree. The new law would change a system that is fifty years old. This is very important for over 20,000 teachers and more than 100,000 students.
Mylonas said that politicians are working on changes to make the law clearer. He said the talks are about finding solutions that everyone can accept, not about forcing anyone to lose. He feels almost sure that the plan will go to a final vote soon. The committee is even ready to have a special meeting to finish the work.
There are two main reasons for this change. First, the old system is out of date and not good for modern schools. Second, Cyprus must update its systems as a member of the European Union. The government believes the most important thing is to help students. Mylonas said the goal is to create a better system for teachers, so they can give a better education to children.
However, teacher unions have been against the new plan for the last twelve months. They want to keep the old system and do not trust the new one. They are worried that the new rules are not clear and could create too much paperwork.
Mylonas admits the final system will not be perfect. But he says it will be a real effort to make a fair and effective system. The committee will now discuss every part of the law in detail. The final decision will show if Cyprus can make its biggest education change in fifty years, or if the agreement fails.