TEACHERS’ union OELMEK yesterday backed the existing ‘waiting list’ for employment in state education, rejecting claims that state schools were plagued with gerontocracy.
OELMEK President Andreas Josif argued that the system needed only a little tweaking, not abolition. However, parents’ association head, Elias Demetriou, insisted the system had to go. It is outdated and ineffective and needs to be scrapped, he argued.
The debate arose after the outgoing Education Service Committee effectively pinned the age-old system as a breeding ground for gerontocracy in public schools.
Teachers in Cyprus are placed on long waiting lists for employment in state education and are appointed according to their position on the list, not their capabilities. Some have been known to reach retirement age before getting the call. Most take up alternative employment until their names come up.
Committee Chairman Christos Theofilides had plenty to say about the shortcomings of the current education system, just days before he hands over the reins after six years in the job.
Speaking to the press on Monday, Theofilides acknowledged that the system had succeeded in preventing nepotism, but highlighted that it did not secure meritocracy, since the oldest candidates were often appointed, not necessarily the best. He added that the average age of teachers, especially in middle education, was so high that one could speak of “gerontocracy in education”. He singled out the system for assessing teachers as being too general and as such ineffective, grading everyone as “excellent”.
Theofilides noted that the whole system failed to provide motives for acquiring substantial academic qualifications.
Another committee member Christos Georgiades pointed out the results of an international study on the level of education in theoretical subjects where Cyprus came 27th out of 30 countries.
In general, a graduate need only acquire a university diploma before submitting their name on the waiting list. Once called up, they need only pass a minimal refresher course before starting teaching, although the first year is considered a trial period.
However, OELMEK president Josif argued the system had proved over decades the immeasurable service it provided to teaching in Cyprus, guaranteeing the purest form of equal treatment. He acknowledged that certain teachers were reaching the latter part of their life when called up to enter the state system but maintained that the average age of teachers was around 34.
“So this is not a phenomenon, it’s merely in a few cases. Compare that figure to Germany let’s say, which has an average age of 43,” said Josif.
He noted that high demand for arts posts as opposed to sciences brought older teachers into the system, but insisted that the majority of teachers, over 85 per cent, were of a young age.
“These reports (about gerontocracy) are misleading because they do not include temporary teachers who might be working seven years before being classified as permanent staff. There are around 1,600 teachers working temporarily this year,” he added.
“Look, there are problems, and my personal view is that we should discuss the possibility of putting an age cap on new appointments. It’s not logical to begin teaching at 55,” he said.
Josif said he had not yet heard an alternative proposal, which would guarantee equal treatment and meritocracy like the current system does. He ruled out extra exams as an additional requirement to entering the system, arguing that good teaching does not only depend on knowledge.
“People may have great academic qualifications but not make great teachers,” he said. He also rejected the introduction of interviews.
“What will you get out of a 15-minute interview which will judge the rest of your life? Could it judge better than a whole year under trial as they do now? I don’t see this improving the existing system.”
The union head highlighted that teaching appointments enjoyed the least court appeals in the civil service sector because of its fairness.
“This is a fair system. If it created gerontocracy, we would discuss it. But it hasn’t, so we can discuss improvements to the system instead.”
He also argued for greater support of new teachers who weren’t finding their feet too easily. “If a teacher is not doing well, they need to be helped. All teachers are thrown in the deep end at the beginning. They were not born to be teachers, they don’t know it from the start, so we are obliged to support them,” said Josif.
President of the parents association Elias Demetriou agreed that the waiting list system helped get eradicate nepotism but had now passed its sell-by date. “You can’t have a 55-year-old join a school for the first time and expect it to work and improve the school,” said Demetriou.
“The system is outmoded. Two years ago he was a butcher and now he’s a teacher. We need a change which provides objectivity, transparency and meritocracy. We have these proposals. You can select teachers using a process of grading, through interviews, qualifications and experience, where they can collect points that add up.”
Demetriou maintained that any changes would have to include a requirement for specific teaching diplomas as well as university qualifications.
“There has to be a requirement for one year in education training as they do in all European countries. We must stop these refresher exams they take here. They are a waste of money, and don’t offer anything. There is little chance you don’t pass one.”
He rejected Josif’s claim that there were few cases of older teachers joining late.
“This is not a rare phenomenon, it does happen. We see a lot of older teachers especially in certain areas. This is outdated now, we need to change the system to gain public confidence in schools because it’s not working,” said Demetriou.
Regarding the problem of state teachers illegally providing private lessons to pupils after school, Demetriou described it as gangrene on Cypriot society.
“Parents are paying on average £340 a month for four extra lessons per child. This also adds to the physical strain on the children.”
A study commissioned by the Education Ministry last year revealed that the majority of high school children sought private lessons to improve their chances of passing university entry exams. According to the study, 86 per cent of pupils attended private lessons.
He suggested that more places should be on offer at universities, decreasing the fierce competition that existed, and also called for a reassessment of the length of the school syllabus. Demetriou also called for pupils to take exams only once instead of now where they take the same exam twice in one month, one for school and the other for university entry.
Finally, he said ways had to be found to limit private lessons. “It’s not an ideal society so they won’t stop by themselves. Teachers are paid a lot to work in public schools, they should concentrate on that job so the child doesn’t feel the need for extra lessons. And why don’t they tax private lessons as well,” he said.
Union head Josif agreed it was a serious social problem. “We don’t support it and wish it wasn’t necessary. But we need to focus on making it unnecessary not hunting down teachers. Yes it is illegal, but would that solve the problem?” he asked.
Josif said the education ministry had to consider cutting down the size of the syllabus. “It’s too large and we can’t cover it. We end up rushing through it.”
“Second, we should change the programme. We should not spoon feed children, but teach them how to learn. We’ve been talking about changes for years. We need to move towards a new philosophy from yesterday.”
