Parliament votes in favour of new teacher evaluation plan

Following months of intense discussions, the new teacher evaluation plan was passed with 29 votes in favour in parliament on Monday.

“This is undoubtedly a reform that, at the same time, supports, empowers and develops our teachers, upgrades pedagogical work and ensures better learning outcomes for all children, without exception,” President Nikos Christodoulides said in a statement after the vote.

He emphasised that the reform was an overall upgrade for work in the educational sector, stressing it was a crucial step in the modernisation of the Republic.

“Change in education is an investment in the future of the country, it is a key pillar of our great effort to change and modernise our country, always on the basis of our ideological political framework, social liberalism,” he said.

Education Minister Athena Michaelidou said that work to implement the evaluation would begin immediately, assuring the governments support to improve education for teachers and student. “

“We stand by our teachers, their organizations and every teacher who struggles in the daily life of the public school, so that we can make this daily life better, as is the ultimate goal of the entire effort,” she said.

The evaluation plan was approved by Disy, Diko, Dipa, Edek, the Ecologists Movement and independent MPs Alexandra Attalidou, Andreas Apostolou and Michalis Giakoumis, with 18 votes against.

The new adjustments on the plan were approved with a similar majority – 29 in favour, 17 against.

Amendment proposals made by Akel, stipulating that directors would not be included in the final evaluation of teachers as proposed were rejected.

A further amendment, stipulating the school principal had to consult one of the assistant principals before evaluating teachers, submitted by Disy MPs Georgos Karoulas, Prodromos Alampritis and Marios Mavridis, as well as Diko MP Chrysanthos Savvidis and independent Andreas Apostolou was approved.

Said provision was not included in the initial draft of the education ministry’s plan but was later added by the House education committee.

An additional legislative proposal by education committee chairman and Diko MP Pavlos Mylonas was approved unanimously.

Diko, in a statement following the vote said that it welcomed the passing of the new evaluation plan, calling on all parties to calls to work responsibly and in dialogue for its evaluation.

“We consider today’s development an important step for education that ensures quality in schools and pedagogical work in a way that responds to modern challenge,” Diko said.

The vote puts an end to months-long debates in parliament and between stakeholders, with teachers having taken to the street over the evaluation plan several times this year, as teachers’ unions said the provisions “failed to convince the teachers” of the rightness of the proposed evaluation system.

The new system will bring with it significant changes in the method of teacher evaluation, marking the first adjustment of the latter in 50 years.

At an estimated cost of €12.5 million, the new system is aimed at evaluating the quality of teaching and learning, as well as offering training opportunities to teachers and increase efficiency of the educational sector.

Education Minister Athena Michaelidou, as well as heads of several educational educations were present at Monday’s vote.

A comprehensive summary on the controversy surrounding the new evaluation bill can be found here.