Debate over teacher evaluation scale in Cyprus

On March 13, 2026, the Cyprus Parliamentary Committee on Education held a session to discuss new regulations for teacher evaluation. Minister of Education Athina Michailidou defended the Ministry's proposed grading scale of 1 to 10, arguing that it provides the necessary range to distinguish teacher performance effectively. Conversely, teachers' unions—including POED, OELMEK, and OLTEK—advocated for a narrower scale of 1 to 4. Union leaders, led by OELMEK president Dimitris Taliadoros, expressed concerns that the 0-10 scale introduces subjectivity and lacks objective criteria for fair grading. Marios Panagidis, Director General of the Ministry of Education, countered that the current proposal avoids the "flattening" of grades seen in previous systems and noted that the Ministry has already incorporated several union recommendations. The Ministry has also established a monitoring committee to oversee the implementation process. This discussion is part of broader educational reforms that have been ongoing since 2023.