Teacher shortage rebuffed
A few weeks before the start of the new academic year, the Education Ministry rebuffed teachers’ claims of understaffing at state schools, saying appointments had virtually doubled this year. «It is widely known that this year 2,174 teachers were appointed to permanent posts as opposed to 1,110 last year, that is an increase of 1,064,» the ministry said in a statement. An additional 1,544 part-time teachers have been appointed this year, it said. Transfers between schools requested by teachers were also completed, the ministry added. The ministry dismissed complaints leveled by the Primary School Teachers’ Federation (DOE), saying the organization was «deliberately and permanently fretting.» DOE President Dimitris Bratis accused the ministry of employing aggressive tactics toward teachers «instead of taking all the necessary measures to fill vacancies in schools and ensure that lessons missed (during protracted teachers’ strikes earlier this year) can be made up for.» As for transfers, Bratis said there had been several errors and oversights. Meanwhile the ministry said that the results of the university entrance examinations sat by high school students this summer will be made public on Monday. A total of 75,000 students have secured places at universities and technical colleges. According to the ministry’s general secretary, Andreas Karamanos, grades have improved virtually across the board. The proportion of examinees who failed to satisfy the minimum grade for university or college entrance this year was 34.07 percent (or 31,822 from a total of 93,389), compared to 38,982 from a total of 93,423 the previous year. Once the results are announced by the ministry they will be posted on Kathimerini’s website (www.kathimerini.gr). Individual results, listed alongside the names of candidates, will be uploaded to the ministry’s website (www.ypepth.gr).
