The Auditor General Odysseas Michailidis has already given instructions for the investigation of the matter, with the ultimate aim of determining the scope of the exemptions and whether they are justified. The reason for starting the relevant control seems to have been an internal circular of the Ministry of Education to the schools.
The above was confirmed by Mr. Michailidis, who stated that the investigation has begun. He explained that about a month and a half ago his office was informed of a "hidden" circular of the ministry - which is not posted like the rest on the Internet.
It includes a list of all the exemptions that teachers are entitled to and the reason it is sent to schools is to be completed by the Directorates for the purpose of calculating the needs of teaching staff for the next year.
It should be noted that in previous reports of the Audit Office there have been several references to the issue of exemptions and to the fact that many of them are not institutionalized.
This is the first time, however, that the competent service has decided to proceed with an ex-officio investigation. Until now, the only research on this issue was conducted in 2003 by the Ministry of Education.
It was then estimated that the exemptions granted amounted to about 500 hours of service and amounted to an annual expenditure of more than € 10 million. If one calculates that first-time teachers teach 24 hours a week, then it turns out that around 12.000 exemptions are given annually (500 teachers X 24 hours of teaching).
Below are the exemptions granted to Secondary Education by specialty:
> Οι philologists are exempted from teaching work as follows: a) For extracurricular work, one course for every 135 students. b) The person in charge of the History room gets an hour off in high school. c) The person in charge of the Library room, both in high school and in high school, is exempted for a period.
> Οι mathematicians exempted in preparation for the Olympics. There are two teaching sessions per province.
> Οι physicists receive the following exemptions: a) For preparation for the Olympics two seasons per province. b) For every ten periods in the Physics lesson in the high school where the teaching is done in a laboratory, one period is granted for the preparation of the laboratory.
> Οι chemists have similar exemptions to natural ones. That is, two periods per province for the preparation of the Olympics and one period for the preparation of a laboratory.
> Οι biologists They are also relieved of their teaching duties for preparing for the Olympics, two hours per province.
> Responsible room Languages: A period is granted for high schools.
> Οι teachers Information Technology have the following exemptions: a) Two hours per province for the Olympics and b) for every 100 computers in high schools and lyceums get an exemption for another two hours.
> The teachers Gymnastics: a) Those who participate in sports afternoons are exempted from teaching for three hours. b) The gymnasts who undertake the role of coordinating schools of each province, are dismissed as follows: In Nicosia, four gymnasts from four seasons each. In Limassol four gymnasts for four seasons. In Larnaca four gymnasts for three seasons. In Famagusta three gymnasts for three seasons. In Paphos four gymnasts for three seasons and in Troodos one gymnast for three seasons.
> The teachers Music two periods are prepared for the preparation of the school choir, while for the school orchestra they take from two to four periods. Also, for the Philharmonic, three to five periods are granted.
Theater, minutes, publications and more…
Teachers are exempt from teaching time, to compensate for other tasks they undertake. Among other things for the following:
Timetable: The teachers who take the responsibility of compiling the program schedule, ie undertake the duties of a programmer, are exempted from teaching work as follows:> In the Gymnasiums with 0-200 students, two teaching hours are granted. If the number of students is more than 201, then the hours of exemption are increased to three.
> All Lyceums receive a five-year exemption. It is estimated that due to this measure an additional 20 teachers are appointed.
Theatrical show: Each school is given two hours of teaching, which are taken as an exemption by the teacher who undertakes the theatrical performance.
The measure involves about ten teachers.
Proceedings and publications: For the observance of the minutes of the session of the teaching association as well as for the publications of the school, exemptions are granted according to the number of students:
> From 1-200 students, exemption one hour for the minutes and one hour for the publications.
> From 201-400 students, exemption two hours for the minutes and one hour for the publications.
> From 401 and up, two hours exemption for minutes and two hours for editions.
Based on the above regulations, about 20 teachers are appointed.
Heads of department: In all departments in the Gymnasiums and Lyceums, the heads of departments have a two-hour reduction of their teaching time. There are about 100 school units with a total number of 1.900 classes. It turns out that the total time allotted is 3.800 teaching periods corresponding to the appointment of about 160 teachers.
Trainings: Assistant principals trained at the Pedagogical Institute are exempt from three terms.
It is noted that exemptions from teaching time are also granted to support students with special needs as well as children who are at risk of becoming functionally illiterate.
Teaching hours
- School principals have zero teaching time
- The assistant directors A 'teach:
10 periods
8 periods after six years of service
- Assistant managers teach
14 periods from 0 to 4 and 9/12 years of service
12 periods from 4 and 9/12 to 9 and 9/12 years of service
10 periods of 9 and 9/12 years of service or more
- Ordinary teachers
24 periods from 0 to 7 and 9/12 years of service
22 periods from 7 and 10/12 to 15 and 9/12 years of service
20 periods from 15 and 10/12 to 19 and 9/12 years of service
18 periods of 19 and 10/12 years of service or more
Source: Liberal