Teachers’ unions have until Thursday to submit their final position on the government’s teacher evaluation reform, Education Minister Athena Michaelidou said on Monday.

Michaelidou confirmed the ministry has made changes to the draft regulations for evaluating teachers and what they teach. The revisions follow the completion of a second round of meetings with unions and mark another step towards finalising the plan.

The ministry said the changes were made to secure the widest possible consensus without altering the philosophy or scientific basis of the reform.

The revised text has already been shared with teachers’ organisations.

According to the ministry, Michaelidou will meet each organisation individually on Thursday.

Once the feedback process is complete, the ministry will present the updated regulations to the House education committee.

Michaelidou highlighted the long wait for reform, saying that 50 years without change have been unfair to both teachers and pupils.

She said the new framework is designed to support educators, renew their professional role, and improve teaching and learning.

She noted that safeguards have already been built into the plan to ensure successful implementation, with the ultimate goal of modernising the education system.

In May, secondary teachers’ union Oelmek rejected the ministry’s final evaluation plan, saying only one of its ten key suggestions had been adopted. The union raised concerns over administrative burdens and the structure of appeals committees.

Following this, in June, the House education committee extended consultations over the summer to address union concerns. The government aims to complete the process by October.

The minister called on teachers’ organisations to see the plan as a shared achievement rather than a dispute. She urged them to act as active partners in both adopting and applying the new regulations.

She concluded that creating a modern, fair, and high-quality school is a collective responsibility involving teachers, pupils, and parents.