It is “surprising” to hear accusations of no consultation, noting that talks with unions began nine months ago and had led to concrete outcomes, Education Minister Athina Michaelidou said on Monday.

The proposed bill, which introduces a new system for the evaluation of teachers and educational work, has been criticised by teacher union Oelmek, which held an internal vote rejecting the proposal in full.

In a written statement, the minister stressed that the entire process had followed the only official and legally established procedure, including public consultation.

“The repeated references to a lack of dialogue are misleading,” she said, pointing out that all stakeholders were aware of the process from the beginning.

Michaelidou added that preliminary drafts had been made public and revised to reflect suggestions from unions.

“It is worth noting,” she said, “that Oelmek chose to withdraw unilaterally from the dialogue shortly after the first stage of the proposal was published. Even so, their feedback at that time was considered and incorporated.”

Despite Oelmek’s absence from later discussions, the ministry continued to share updated proposals and invited the union to respond.

“Institutional dialogue does not mean accepting every request made by unions,” the minister said, quoting President Christodoulides who had earlier warned that talks cannot continue indefinitely.

She also addressed criticisms over unresolved issues within the bill, such as the composition of the appeals body and the removal of numerical grading by headteachers.

“These are points where the unions themselves do not agree. They will be debated in Parliament, as they should,” she said.

Michaelidou called on educators to examine the proposal in full before forming opinions.

“It’s time to move past the delays. The bill already includes a five-year transitional phase, with joint monitoring by the ministry and unions. If we are serious about upgrading our education system, this reform is necessary,” she said.

The minister said the government would press ahead with submitting a proposal that is “balanced and meaningful”, aiming to provide teachers with practical tools and opportunities, without being swayed by union demands or tactics of avoidance.