Teacher Unions in TRNC to Hold Sit-In Strike

On Wednesday, April 24, the Union of Cypriot-Turkish Teachers (KTÖS) and the Union of Cypriot-Turkish Secondary Education Teachers (KTOEÖS) will conduct a sit-in strike in front of the Public Service Commission. The reason for the protest action is the shortage of administrative staff in all educational institutions in Northern Cyprus.

In a joint statement by the unions, it is stated that appointments of directors and their deputies have still not been made in TRNC schools. Moreover, it has been a month since the examination for filling vacant positions took place.

The statement also mentions that appointments and qualification exams for kindergarten, primary, middle, and high school teachers were last conducted in 2022. This has led to a number of problems in the education sector at the beginning of the new academic year.

According to union leaders, there is a shortage of 35 deputy directors in secondary general education and vocational-technical schools in TRNC, and 11 out of 48 schools still do not have a director. Additionally, there is a shortage of 14 directors and 19 deputy directors in primary schools.