Head teachers accused of cheating to get more convenient postings

By Constantinos Psillides
HIGH-SCHOOL TEACHERS, mostly principals, have been providing false information so that they work at schools close to home, said the head of the Greek Principals Association Kyriakos Mparis on Monday.
“Everybody knows this is happening and nobody is saying anything. The reason I chose to speak up is to get a discussion going so we can remedy this,” said Mparis, adding that the education ministry should put an end to this practice.
Asked by CyBC radio to provide examples, Mparis said that some educators list as a place of residence their family home from which they have moved a long time ago – he specifically mentioned a teacher posted at Nicosia who listed the village of Evrichou as a residence – while others present false medical certificates.
“People claiming that they suffer from vertigo or a back pain or being unable to walk properly or being chronically ill. We see the same people going on vacations and having no problem whatsoever when it’s leisure time,” explained Mparis.
Every educator has to be posted at a rural position – or another city – as part of the posting rotation system. Postings are decided based on a point system, with more points being awarded to educators who have served away from their listed residence. By listing another residence, these teachers get to be posted near their actual address and not go through the rural posting, at the expense of their colleagues.
Mparis pointed out that covering up for these teachers hurt the honest ones, as they are saddled with having to teach in areas away from their home more often. “In these dire financial times, this is not something the teachers want,” he said.
Head of the high-school teachers union (OELMEK) Dimitris Taliadoros confirmed that there was a problem but argued that the number of teachers resorting to scamming the system was very limited.
“We do not cover for any of them. We do not support them in any way and we ask the education ministry to enforce their rules and regulations,” said Taliadoros.

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