Regulatory framework to change for schools
New regulations drawn up by the Education Ministry will make the outdated state school system more responsive to contemporary educational needs by making changes to teachers’ duties and enhancing cooperation between pupils, parents and teaching staff. At the same time, the chief focus will be on bringing out the personality of the pupil through «work done in class.» The new regulations, code of teaching duties and teacher assessment process have been handed over to teachers’ trade unions for discussion and were presented Thursday at a press conference by the Education Ministry. Kathimerini has been informed that the changes provide for: – Regular parent-teacher meetings, that is, an ongoing relationship which parents are obliged to have with teachers. – Frequent meetings among teaching staff. – In secondary school education, such meetings will be held according to specialization and class, with the aim of evaluating pupils’ progress, locating problems and programming the syllabus. – Special emphasis will be laid on the teacher’s own input at the school and the whole educational process, with staff required to follow the new philosophy behind the organization, management and development of schools. These provisions will be included in the new school regulations. Key to their realization will the principal of each school, whose role will be upgraded. Specifically, school principals will: – Mediate between, acknowledge and establish the role of parents, teachers and pupils. – Allow teachers to participate in designing and organizing their coursework as well as in making decisions that concern them. – Principals will have both the right and the duty to deliver reprimands and impose penalties, to prevent a collapse of discipline. Strict monitoring and inspection procedures, coupled with evaluations of the teacher and the teacher’s work, will be implemented in order to achieve all of the above. Deputy Education Minister Nikos Gesoulis, asked by Kathimerini about the thinking behind the changes, said, «We want a living, creative, participatory school, a friendly, cheerful place that will inspire optimism in children, confidence in their own abilities and create motivation for work. We will base all these on strengthening the relationship between pupils, teachers and parents.» The new regulations will be implemented through ministerial decrees and published in a circular.
