Education Minister Athena Michaelidou is scheduled to meet with representatives of the secondary school teaching union Oelmek to discuss the latest evaluation scheme for teachers and educational work on Tuesday.

Oelmek president Demetris Taliadoros had previously told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) that he expected the Minister to present a relevant proposal during their meeting.

In a vote in May, 91.85 per cent of the union voted against the new evaluation plan, calling on the House of Representatives to return the bill to the education ministry for a “real dialogue” aimed at reaching an agreed proposal.

Deputy chairman of the House education committee, Chrysanthos Savvides last Tuesday announced that the discussion on the government’s new evaluation bill would be reopened on September 3.

Speaking on CyBc radio, he said the current evaluation system was insufficient and emphasised the need for dialogue and consultation emphasised the importance of dialogue and consultation in developing a modern, reliable evaluation framework.

Savvides described the education system as a “living organism”, which inevitably produced challenges, arguing that it inevitably produced certain challenges and that constant monitoring and assessment were needed to improve its functioning.

He added that the system had to be updated and reviewed regularly, given the rapid shifts in modern-day society, and expressed hope that Cyprus could eventually develop a model system.

With the new academic year approaching, the committee chairman said that, although difficulties would persist, the main goal was to minimise these issues and ensure a smoother school year.