Mitsotakis: The recruitment of permanent staff in education is important

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met and talked today, at the 4th Gymnasium of Nea Ionia, with eight teachers who were appointed permanently this year to primary and secondary education units.

The discussion focused on the reforms that have been implemented to modernize and upgrade the education system in the last three years, on better monitoring of technological and scientific developments for the educational process, and on the various challenges that students and teachers face today.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized the importance of interventions that have been made to support the lively teaching staff who serve in the classrooms, goals that were served through the permanent appointments of 25,000 teachers after 12 years of stagnation, the creation of 1,100 organic positions of psychologists and social workers in schools for the first time , the implementation of training programs that have helped approximately 125,000 teachers and professors so far, but also the allocation of funds so that more than 500,000 young people and 160,000 teachers can buy electronic devices such as laptops or tablets.

Many of the teachers reported that they had served in schools for years as substitutes or hourly workers, and expressed their satisfaction that they were now settled and not in a state of uncertainty or constant movement.

Permanency and stability for teachers

“It gives us satisfaction that for the first time, after so many years, we were able to make important recruitments of permanent staff in education. Especially with regard to people who serve in education but had to have that permanence and stability, which permanent employment leads to. And through this discussion tell me a little bit, like that, completely how you feel, mainly what we can do better to help the schools and you, your own personal development”, said the Prime Minister.

“I have always believed and I firmly believe that our schools are only as good as our teachers and professors. And of course, school principals should also be able to support the school units. One of the great innovations that I have always wanted to introduce is a little more autonomy in schools, but also for teachers, for teachers in the classroom. To be able to teach the lesson as they see fit. Within an -obviously- regulated framework but with a little more imagination and ingenuity, to make the lesson more interesting and to be able to adapt the process to the capabilities and advantages of each teacher”, added Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

“We were 12 years, 15 years, hourly substitutes. We went everywhere, I had left my baby. It is also the issue of uncertainty. And now I’m permanent, imagine I don’t believe it. In other words, you restored a great injustice, years ago,” said the philologist Constantina Gavriliadis during the debate.

“I have been a deputy for twelve years. I am now one of the 25,000 hires made. I feel very happy about it, there is a stability for me and the whole family because I also have two small children. The education is done by the teachers, I think, above all and you supported it through the appointments you have made”, said the kindergarten teacher Agni Viciotis for her part.

“As a result it seemed that you were serving permanent and lasting needs and obviously this uncertainty of not knowing where you will be next year must have been very difficult psychologically,” replied the Prime Minister, who further asked to know specifically the image they have teachers for special education appointments.

“It is true that permanent appointments bring stability. It is the first time in special education – since the special education functioned, that is, many years ago – that permanent appointments have been made. We now have a more stable environment. Human capital is a multiplier. It is a multiplier for all classes. We have laid the foundations because we have a stability. The student has a point of reference for the teacher, the school unit is better organized”, said Giorgos Stamatakos, who is a special educator, while also noting the importance of an environment of stability and support for parents.

“Permanent recruitment already gives them the security that the child will find a teacher there, which is why they should continue. The Personal Assistant is also a very important step,” he added.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis also spoke about the initiatives that have been put into practice to improve the quality of public education, such as the two-year study in kindergartens and the teaching of English at these ages, the preparation of 166 new study programs to improve and modernize the curriculum in all subjects, free choice of textbooks to encourage meaningful learning and combat blind memorization, institutionalizing ‘Skills Workshops’ to teach subjects such as robotics, road safety and sex education, and doubling the Standards and of Experimental Schools, which now amount to 120.

“We want curiosity, we want to teach skills and attitudes and not just knowledge. Knowledge can never be replaced, but the school must be more than a mechanism for reproducing a knowledge taught by the teacher or professor. And we can do these more easily at younger ages”, said the Prime Minister, referring to the new themes and activities that the school now offers.

He also underlined the importance of starting education from the age of 4, which all children have access to. “It is very big, you know, this reform and there are countries which are considered much more advanced than us and have not yet managed to go to the start of the formal education process out of the four. It is a great achievement. And I think the work done in the kindergarten is also very important”, said Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

“Of course it is also a measure with a very important social footprint. Because now all children have access to a quality education which starts, essentially, in an organized way from the age of four, and not only those who could possibly pay for it”, he added.

The debate highlighted the importance of initiatives such as extending the opening hours of full-day schools to better support working parents.

The teachers pointed out weaknesses that exist, such as problems in some textbooks and gaps in building infrastructure.

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