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As state primary school and nursery teachers were poised to strike from noon, union leader Filios Fylaktou accused Education Minister Costas Kadis of “criminal mistakes”.
Head of state primary school teacher union Poed, Fylaktou made the statement on state radio with Kadis replying by saying he would “not stoop so low to respond”.
The clash came hours before a teacher walk-out that will see parents having to fetch their children at noon instead of 1.05pm. Teachers will then meet with union representatives.
Fylaktou said that teacher appointments were still ongoing and that their were still 140 vacancies – something Kadis vehemently denied.
Poed last week announced the decision to strike and state nursery school teachers – including those working at community kindergartens where parents contribute to salaries and operating expenses – this week decided that they too would also be joining them. The strike is over a dispute concerning the status given to temporary teachers.
While some temporary teachers brought in to fill staffing gaps in line with a cabinet decision over the summer have been given a year-long contract, others do not know how long their services will be needed and fear they will not be paid over the Christmas holidays even if they will be teaching when schools reopen.
Kadis has stoutly defending the state’s decision arguing that the cabinet decided to appoint an expert committee to look into and to suggest the best-possible staffing of schools. It was that committee which claimed that the hiring of all the temporary teachers on a year-long contract was not feasible.
The minister says that out of the 228 hired to ensure state primary schools had enough educators on staff this year, 103 had not been given one-year contract.
He has also said steps would be taken to ensure they were paid over the Christmas break if their services were still required afterwards.
In Tuesday’s statement, the Education Ministry described the work stoppage as “incomprehensible” and something that would “inexcusably harm pupils and parents”.
The ministry noted that Poed representatives had at the start of the school year made comments to the media saying that any staffing problems were insignificant and within the usual anticipated limits of any new school year.