The new school year begins with a series of positive changes, says OELMEK in its announcement, adding, however, that "unfortunately, this year we are also starting the new school year without our classrooms having the necessary equipment to deal with the high temperatures we have due to the climate crisis".
In its greeting to teachers on the occasion of the start of the new school year 2024-2025, which it sent to Principals, Teachers of Secondary General and Technical Education, OELMEK wishes them a good and creative year and every success in the difficult task their.
"We welcome the new colleagues, who enter the field of education for the first time this year. We especially congratulate and welcome to Public Education the four hundred and twelve (412) new colleagues who have been made permanent, as well as our thirteen hundred contract colleagues who have been called to serve the Public School in the new school year ", he adds.
On this occasion, OELMEK invites them to join OELMEK, the historic trade union organization of Secondary General Education Teachers, which has already completed 70 years of operation and action, and which will continue to fight consistently, seriousness, responsibility and methodicality for the improvement of Public Education and to support teachers and the upgrading of their work and to ensure their prestige and dignity.
He notes that the new school year begins with a series of positive changes such as the increase of permanent positions by two hundred, the staffing of the DRASE programs is done by contracts appointed by the E.E.Y., the literacy program in the 3rd High School is reinstated, after eight years, again in the morning program of the Schools, while the pilot operation, in a separate school unit, of the Alternative Program for students with severe delinquent behavior begins in October.
"This year's staffing process has highlighted, once again, the necessity of a drastic increase in permanent positions. It is counterproductive to have to appoint more than 1300 colleagues under contract status. We call on the Ministry of Education to immediately proceed with the implementation of the agreed plan for the gradual increase of permanent positions with the aim of reducing the number of contract holders to 7% of our educational staff", he adds.
Unfortunately, OELMEK reports, "and this year we are starting the new school year without our classrooms having the necessary equipment to deal with the high temperatures we have due to the climate crisis".
"Our Organization has been asking the Ministry of Education for months to submit a specific schedule for the installation of air conditioners, but this has not been done. We expect within the Autumn, on the basis of a three-year time plan, as promised by the Ministry of Education, which foresees the installation of air conditioners in the classrooms and in all the school spaces that are needed", he notes.
He mentions, at the same time, that they are aware of the difficulties arising in several school units with administrative understaffing.
"Unfortunately, 20% of our School Units are administratively understaffed. For years, our Organization has been demanding from the Ministry of Education the abolition of the secondment of administrative officials (Directors, Headmasters and Headmasters). Unfortunately, again this year the trend was increasing, with the result that dozens of education administrators are either on secondment to the Ministry of Education or have been assigned to other services," he adds.
The above are, says OELMEK, "only some of the dozens of educational and trade union issues managed by our Organization".
"We declare that we will continue to work with the same consistency, seriousness and method, so that many requests that concern us, educational and union, will emerge and be resolved for the good of the Public School. Once again, we wish you every success and strength in your difficult work for the good of our students, Public Education and the wider society", concludes the Organization, in its announcement.
Source: KYPE