School leadership
2.1. Leadership standards and roles
2.2. Selection and working conditions
2.3. Leadership preparation and training
3. Teachers, parents and students
3.1. School management committees and boards
4.1. Autonomy of school leaders
4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders
4.3. Teacher assessment by school leaders
1. Terminology
According to the 2008-20 Regulations on the Operation of Public Primary Schools and 2017 Regulations on the Operation of Public Secondary Schools (as amended in 2020, 2022, and 2023), the manager/director/headteacher («διευθυντής») is responsible for the governance of public primary and secondary schools in Cyprus. The school management team («διευθυντική ομάδα») consists of the headteacher and deputy headteachers of the school. The headteacher focuses on the day-to-day administration of the school, assisted by the deputy head teachers, teachers, and clerical staff. They represent the school to the Ministry of Education and the wider society and cooperate with the parents’ association, the local school board, and other authorities.
The 1969 Law on the Public Educational Service (as subsequently amended) includes headteachers in its definition of a teacher and educator.
2. School principals
2.1. Leadership standards and roles
Competency standards and leadership frameworks and guidelines
The roles and responsibilities of headteachers and deputy headteachers are defined by law, and outlined in the 2017 Regulations on the Operation of Public Secondary Schools (Article 26) and 2008-20 Regulations on the Operation of Public Primary Schools (Article 22). The duties, responsibilities and discipline of all teachers (including heads) at the pre-primary, primary and secondary education levels is further enshrined in the 1969 Law on the Public Educational Service (as subsequently amended).
Roles
Setting expectations/objectives: According to the 2008-20 Regulations on the Operation of Public Primary Schools, the headteacher is responsible for developing a plan for civil defense in collaboration with the Ministry of Defense.
Developing teaching and learning: The headteacher is responsible for the internal evaluation of educational institutions and collaborates with the local school board on the development of teaching and learning at the school. Specific responsibilities outlined in the law include regularly monitoring teacher performance (through classroom visits and observations), supporting teachers and providing them with guidance and feedback to improve their instructional practice, and ensuring the well-being and physical, spiritual, social, and ethical education of students.
Promoting collaboration: The 2008-20 Regulations on the Operation of Public Primary Schools and 2017 Regulations on the Operation of Public Secondary Schools define several responsibilities of headteachers in relation to collaboration, including ensuring collaboration among teaching staff; ensuring communication and collaboration with the Ministry, deputy headteachers, parent associations, teacher associations, and student councils; and having regular contact with parents and guardians, which includes informing them on the behavior and progress of their children.
Supporting staff development: The headteacher is explicitly responsible for ensuring the professional development of school staff, supported by the deputy headteacher. The deputy headteacher organizes specific professional development activities for teaching staff, including seminars, workshops, conferences, and mentorship programs.
Acting in accordance with the ethical principles of the profession: According to the 2008-20 Regulations on the Operation of Public Primary Schools, all teaching staff at the school (including the headteacher) must be characterized by dignity, honesty, and discretion. The code of conduct for all teachers (including heads) is enshrined in the 1969 Law on the Public Educational Service (as subsequently amended), and includes performing duties faithfully and with dignity, complying with the law, and being characterized by proper behavior.
Others: There are several additional roles of headteachers outlined in the law, including administrative duties, maintenance of school buildings, provision of necessary school equipment, and ensuring there is no political involvement in the operation of the school. The headteacher at the primary level is additionally expected to take up teaching responsibilities.
2.2. Selection and working conditions
Degree requirements and prior teaching experience
Headteacher and deputy headteacher positions are promotion positions, gained by existing teachers that meet the minimum requirements, depending on the education level. At the pre-primary and primary level, teachers must have at least 13 years of teaching experience, 5 of which should be spent at public pre-primary or primary schools, in order to apply for the position of deputy headteacher. To be eligible to apply for the position of headteacher, candidates must have additionally served in the position of deputy head for a minimum of 3 years.
At the secondary education level, teachers must have at least 12 years of experience as a teacher, five of which must be spent in public secondary schools, in order to be eligible for promotion to the post of deputy headteacher. An applicant for the position of deputy headteacher A' must have at least two years of experience as a deputy headteacher and ‘very good’ knowledge of Greek language. Applicants for the post of headteacher must have served at least 2 years as deputy headteachers A'.
Teachers at all levels of school education are university graduates with a bachelor’s degree in education (related to their teaching level and subjects) as the minimum qualification, subject to approval from the Education Service Commission.
Appointment decision
Headteacher and deputy headteacher appointments in the public sector are highly centralized and managed by the Education Service Commission (an independent committee responsible for teachers’ promotions) in coordination with the Ministry of Education and Culture. Vacancies for headteacher and deputy headteacher positions are announced by the Educational Service Commission in the Official Gazette, with interested teachers submitting an official application to the Commission, as described in the 1969 Law on the Public Educational Service (as subsequently amended). Once the application period is over, the Educational Service Commission sends the applications to the Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Education, which suggests a list of names (three times as many as the vacancies available) and ranks them according to certain criteria (i.e. high standard achieved in regulated evaluations, additional academic qualifications, and length of service). The list of names is then announced by the Ministry of Education and Culture.
Following an interview with the Education Service Commission, promotion is offered to the selected candidates, once their performance has been evaluated, through a formal interview. One representative of the Directorate of the Ministry of Education and Culture participates in the interview and expresses an opinion, which may or may not be taken into consideration by the Commission when making a final decision.
Employment equity measures
According to the 1969 Law on the Public Educational Service (as subsequently amended), appointments in the public teaching service (including headteacher appointments) must include people who became disabled during the Turkish invasion in 1974 or were part of the resistance/liberation movement (or, in cases where this does not apply, their children or spouses) (5%); spouses or children of people who were killed during the invasion (5%), people who suffer from certain illnesses (2%), and other people with disabilities (3%). The law additionally states that until emergency measures taken due to the occupation of territories in the Republic of Cyprus are terminated, the Education Service Commission must appoint educators (including headteachers) with priority to educators who reside permanently or temporarily in the occupied villages of Rizokarpasos and Agia Triada based on their years of service.
Working conditions
Teachers at all school levels and ranks (including headteachers and deputy headteachers) are civil servants, with their professional status and conditions of service detailed in their schemes of service and the governing school regulations. They are appointed, promoted, transferred, and retired by the Educational Service Commission in accordance with the 1969 Law on the Public Educational Service. After the two-year probationary period is successfully completed, teachers become permanent public education servants and do not have a contract. Applicants are appointed to a permanent post through annual appointment lists drawn up by the Education Service Commission at the end of each academic year. Teachers may only be employed on short-term contracts to cover immediate needs.
Decisions on all teachers' basic statutory salaries in public schools (including headteachers) are taken at the central level, usually following negotiations with the teachers' unions. All teachers in the public sector receive an increase in their basic salary, which totals up to 6.656% since the year 2011. They also receive a Cost of Living Allowance, which has been frozen at 27.99% of basic salaries, since July 2011. Headteachers at the pre-primary and primary education level (A12+2 increments) receive a basic annual salary of 44.978 EUR (48139.73 USD), while headteachers at the secondary level (A13) receive a basic annual salary of 53.258 EUR (57001.77 USD), both with annual increments of 2,102 EUR. The minimum statutory salary for a school head is higher compared to teachers with 15 years of experience at all educational levels.
Trade unions have an active role in the development and implementation of policies, participating in negotiations regarding teachers’ working conditions, remuneration, evaluation and any kind of educational reform at all levels. The Cyprus Primary School Heads Association, which functions under the Pancyprian Greek Teachers Organisation (POED), represents headteachers’ voice to teachers’ unions and to educational authorities.
2.3. Leadership preparation and training
Pre-service training
Headteachers are not required to undertake specific training related to their management responsibilities before appointment (beyond those required of teachers) but are required to take induction courses upon their appointment.
Induction and in-service training
The Ministry of Education and Culture is responsible for organizing in-service training for all teachers (including headteachers) in the public sector. The Pedagogical Institute is the main provider of in-service training, offering both compulsory and optional courses. The Department of Teachers' In-service Training includes compulsory recurrent courses for newly appointed headteachers at primary and secondary levels, with attendance certificates issued to all participants. There are also optional professional development courses offered to all educators, including headteachers.
There is an induction training program available for newly appointed headteachers, which takes place during their first year of service and consists of six training modules, covering issues such as the functioning of the school unit, educational leadership, monitoring and improving a school unit (including issues of school self-evaluation), school organization, and school reforms. The program lasts for 19 daily meetings (typically one every week or every other week) during which newly appointed headteachers attend lectures or workshops.
In 2021, the main thematic units of the In-Service Training Programmes for newly promoted head teachers included legislation and policy; school development; planning and organizational management of the school unit; school culture and climate; human resource management; and promoting teaching and learning. Newly appointed headteachers attended 26 hours of online meetings throughout the academic year. An all-day compulsory school head teachers’ network is additionally in place to enable headteachers to solve problems and share ideas amongst themselves.
In the context of the introduction and implementation of the new curriculum in public schools, the Pedagogical Institute participated in the production of new curriculum-related teaching materials, and put into practice mass in-service training seminars for teachers and headteachers.
In 2023-2024, the Pedagogical Institute continued its implementation of the Ministry policy on the professional training of teachers in all schools of all levels, based on the relevant Decision of the Council of Ministers (no. 82.966, dated 12/7/2017). All schools of all grades are invited to prepare and implement an Action Plan for the professional training of their teachers, as part of the Unified Development and Improvement Plan of the School Unit.
The 2017 Regulations on the Operation of Public Secondary Schools and 2008-20 Regulations on the Operation of Public Primary Schools additionally require headteachers to remain informed of progressions and most recent methods in modern education governance in order to be more effective in their work.
The 2024-26 Education Strategic Plan further highlights the importance of continuous professional development of headteachers, with emphasis on leadership skills and revising the in-service training program content to include teaching and learning for sustainable development. Training programs for headteachers will be implemented in collaboration with the Pedagogical Institute, which provides seminars to headteachers.
3. Teachers, parents and students
3.1. School management committees and boards
The 1997-2014 Laws on School Boards provide for the composition of local school boards (appointed or elected) and their duties. The functions of local school boards include financial management and procurement of schools, appointment of non-teaching staff, assessments of staff appointed to the school board by the government, giving suggestions to the minister for the amount of students per school, and managing a discretionary budget. Headteachers and teachers rely on school boards to ensure proper working conditions at the school.
The 2017 Regulations on the Operation of Public Secondary Schools and 2008-20 Regulations on the Operation of Public Primary Schools provide for the establishment, operation and responsibilities of the teachers’ assembly (καθηγητικός σύλλογος). The teachers’ assembly, led by the head teacher, constitutes the highest body in the school, which approves the allocation of teaching and other tasks to the teachers, decides on the promotion or retention of the students, and imposes discipline measures to students within the framework of existing regulations.
Each school must additionally have a school advisory committee, as defined by law, which includes the headteacher, deputy headteacher, a teacher representative, 2 parent representatives, the president of the student council, and one member of the local school board.
At the secondary level, the board of directors in each school consists of the headteacher, deputy headteachers, up to 3 teachers, and 3 students from the student council, as outlined in the 2017 Regulations on the Operation of Public Secondary Schools.
3.2. Middle leaders
The 2017 Regulations on the Operation of Public Secondary Schools and 2008-20 Regulations on the Operation of Public Primary Schools outline the responsibilities of deputy headteachers, who support headteachers in their administrative duties, and take up teaching responsibilities.
3.3. Parents
The responsibilities of the parents’ association in ensuring quality education are outlined in the law, in addition to specific responsibilities for parents. The parents’ association meets at the beginning of the school year to elect its representatives, holding monthly meetings on how it can financially support the functioning of the school in terms of resources/equipment and extra-curricular activities.
3.4. Students
Students are involved in school governance at the secondary level, as defined by law. The 2017 Regulations on the Operation of Public Secondary Schools outline the responsibilities of student councils, which represents student interests and cooperate with the head teacher and the parents’ association. At the primary level, student involvement is expressed as collaboration between staff and students in the establishment of a mutually agreed code of conduct. This is regulated by the Regulations ΚΔΠ 225/2008.
4. Governance
4.1. Autonomy of school leaders
Public schools (and their heads) do not have the autonomy to decide on the content of the curriculum, the textbooks used, the appointment or dismissal of the teaching staff, or the management of finances within the school.
4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders
Headteachers are evaluated by a team of inspectors (usually 2 inspectors) presided by the Inspector General of the Ministry of Education and Culture. The focus of the evaluation is on school management instead of teaching, therefore headteachers are not observed in the classroom. Once the evaluation is completed, a confidential report is prepared by the evaluation team, with results having no impact on salaries. Evaluations are used as one of the criteria for staff promotions.
The government committed to putting in place a new system for evaluating teachers and schools under its recovery and resilience plan, which include headteacher evaluation.
4.3. Teacher assessment by school leaders
According to the 2017 Regulations on the Operation of Public Secondary Schools, the headteacher is explicitly responsible for the evaluation of teaching staff, which includes the submission of a detailed evaluation report. Teachers are evaluated by the headteacher every year, who is obliged to complete a report for each teacher of their school and submit it to the inspector. Headteachers are required to provide information on four topics: teachers’ professional knowledge, teaching skills, classroom organization, and teachers’ behaviour in school and community involvement.
Teachers are additionally inspected and assessed by the inspectors of the Ministry of Education and Culture, as detailed in the 223/1976 Regulations. During the teachers’ two-year probationary period, their evaluation involves a report on their progress, completed by their inspector and the headteacher every 6 months. As part of this evaluation, the teacher is observed in the classroom. Once the probationary period is completed, a teacher is evaluated once a year for the first 2 years and then at least once every 3 years thereafter. This procedure stays in place until a teacher has completed 25 years of service, at which point they are evaluated once every 4 years.
This profile was reviewed by Petros Pashiardis, Professor of Educational Leadership at the Open University of Cyprus.
