On December 18, a two-hour teachers’ strike will take place in Cyprus public schools

On Thursday, December 18, teachers in Cyprus public schools plan to hold a short strike at the start of the school day. The action will begin with the start of classes — approximately at 7:45–8:00 — and will last until 9:00, after which teachers will return to work.

The strike is expected to cause difficulties for families, primarily with getting children to school and the operation of school transport. The Ministry of Education stated that students who arrive after 9:00 will not be marked absent and will not face any penalties.

The reason for the action is a dispute over a bill on teacher evaluation. On December 11, the primary school teachers’ union POED rejected the document, stating that no compromise had been reached with the Ministry of Education. The union believes that the final version of the law differs from previously discussed agreements and considers the provision on the participation of school administrations in the evaluation process particularly problematic.

Against this background, parent associations sent a strongly worded appeal to the ministry and requested an urgent meeting with Education Minister Athena Michaelidou. It is noted that this is already the second protest action by teachers in the past month.