Education: 20,000 teacher shortages, ministry blames leave requests

The new academic year opened with 20,000 teaching vacancies, igniting a public dispute between educators and Education Minister Sofia Zacharaki.

Asked to comment on the gaps, Zacharaki argued they are due to teachers requesting leave immediately after securing permanent posts—mainly for pregnancy, childcare, or high-risk pregnancies.

She cited data showing that 23% of the 9,158 teachers appointed requested some form of leave. As an example, she pointed to one region where “we called 336 teachers. On the first day, 100 permanent staff applied for leave. For various reasons, once someone gains permanency, they may activate a leave entitlement. They won’t go to school for the period allowed, and a substitute must be appointed.”

At the end of the 2024–25 academic year, after retirements were factored in, teacher shortages had reached 50,000.

The teachers’ union, OLME, sharply criticized the minister’s remarks. “Instead of taking real measures to support young people and address the demographic crisis, the government chooses to target working mothers,” it said.

OLME insists the shortages can only be addressed through immediate hiring and funding increases. Its demands include:
• A second round of substitute teacher appointments to fill all vacancies at once.
• Large-scale permanent hiring to cover long-standing gaps.
• Substantial increases in school funding to ensure proper operations.