Teacher leave requests deepen shortages

Nearly 1 successful 4 recently appointed teachers astatine Greece’s nationalist schools requested permission instantly aft receiving their long-awaited appointments, according to information released Thursday by the Ministry of Education.

Education Minister Sofia Zacharaki described the resulting staffing shortages arsenic a “structural issue,” citing the country’s geography and centralized hiring process. “If you spent a week with us astatine the Ministry of Education, your questions would beryllium answered,” Zacharaki said successful an interrogation with state broadcaster ERT.

Figures from Greece’s 13 determination acquisition directorates amusement that 23% of the 9,168 teachers hired this year requested leave, with rates climbing to astir 30% successful the South Aegean and Ionian islands and dropping to 16.1% successful the Athens region. Maternity, child-rearing and high-risk gestation permission were the astir communal reasons cited.

Some teachers declined their appointments entirely, requested unpaid leave, oregon asked to hold their swearing-in for superior idiosyncratic reasons. Ministry officials told Kathimerini that galore teachers use for postings successful distant areas to gain higher transfer credits, aboriginal requesting relocation person to location aft their two-year probationary period.

Zacharaki acknowledged that the vacancies caused by permission requests are initially filled by substitute teachers, who sometimes besides petition permission oregon cull assignments. This requires further rounds of hiring. “Any vacancies identified aft the assignment of 10,000 imperishable teachers and the placement of much than 24,000 substitutes will beryllium filled earlier than usual,” Zacharaki said, adding that the 2nd signifier of substitute teacher hiring would take spot September 25-26, weeks earlier than successful erstwhile years.

The curate contrasted Greece’s centralized system with much decentralized models successful countries similar Germany and Belgium, where hiring is managed regionally oregon locally. In Greece, she said, the centralized system, combined with the country’s geography, contributes to recurring staffing gaps astatine the start of the schoolhouse year.

“On 1 island, a kindergarten teacher was appointed and instantly took leave,” Zacharaki said. “We sent a substitute close distant to conscionable the need.”

Despite these challenges, she said, the ministry aims to guarantee that full-day schoolhouse programs and services for students needing special support statesman earlier this year.