# Teaching in Cyprus



## stovini (May 16, 2009)

Hi, i am new to this website. I am currently teaching (Head of Dept, Geography, 7 years experience) in UK and am seriously considering moving to live in cyprus as my parents have just bought an apartment in cyprus, Tala so it would be in the Paphos area i would locate to. Would appreciate any advice on how about looking for jobs, salary of teachers etc. Any advice would be appreciated.


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## Lazer (Feb 11, 2009)

stovini said:


> Hi, i am new to this website. I am currently teaching (Head of Dept, Geography, 7 years experience) in UK and am seriously considering moving to live in cyprus as my parents have just bought an apartment in cyprus, Tala so it would be in the Paphos area i would locate to. Would appreciate any advice on how about looking for jobs, salary of teachers etc. Any advice would be appreciated.


Hi,

A few weeks ago the International School of Paphos were advertising for teachers for the academic year 09/10 in one of the local papers ( I forget which one, my Mum found the ad). Go to their website and email your CV to the Headteacher. I've done it already and am waiting for a response...

L


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## kimonas (Jul 19, 2008)

Teaching is considered a good job in Cyprus and teaching generally is a well respected profession as Cypriots place a high value on education (it has the second most qualified population in the world where almost everyone is educated to at least degree level and increasingly it is becoming standard for a young adult setting out in the jobs market to have a masters degree too). 

That's the good news. The bad news is that teaching in state schools is a closed shop for Cypriots only. There are a few European nationals (French, English and Italians) that are married to Cypriots teaching their native language, but all other subjects are taught in Greek. Many adults with degrees generally sign up on a massive waiting list for a teaching post as teaching is highly unionised and a branch of the civil service with fat salaries and minimal working hours and massive fringe benefits to be enjoyed (but usually after a 10-20 year wait for a teaching post to become vacant). The result is that in the past many teachers did not have teaching experience or the skills to teach well as they may have spent many years working in a completely different field before being called up. They almost all had no teaching qualifications. This is now changing and all new teachers are required to spend a year at the Pedagogical Institute once they have been called up to teach learning class management and child psychology before they are released into the state system. 

For expat teachers then, the only choice is the Private Sector (see the thread on schooling to get a flavour of the nature of private schools). Private Schools are almost all family run operations that hire at the cheapest rates. Unfortunately they do not really count on experience. There are a large number of CVs circulating in May as this is the month that Private schools hire and fire. Flexibility is the key to survival. Be prepared to teach any groups and fit in with timetables. If you expect a UK style contract, you will be disappointed. Timetables can be almost impossible with no preparation time built in, and you will be expected to contribute to the school in many other ways to support students from camping trips and weekend BBQs and PTA events. If you pitch in it will be a great experience and very rewarding, but not perhaps financially (compared to UK salaries).

Teachers in the Private sector work from 7:30am - 1:30pm and normally teach 27 x 45 minute periods per week. They have 20 days holiday (but many more saints days and public holidays and 13 week summer holidays). Some owner/principals will find excuses to fire new teachers before the summer so that they don't have to pay them over the summer. For established teachers, however, who earn from 1200 – 1600Euros per month (+ 13th salary), the work is actually very well paid considering the fact that they do not work over the summer, Christmas or Easter holidays and have numerous saints days and national holidays thrown in. Teachers do always seem to be complaining, however, because they do not compare themselves to those poor souls doing 7 day 45+ hour weeks for salaries below 800Euros round the calendar and through the heat of the summer (manual workers, for example), but with their Sate Sector colleagues who have much reduced hours, and earn at least twice as much as they do.

CVs should be written to convince the headmaster that you are in Cyprus and will stay - no school will pay relocation etc. and will be looking for evidence that a candidate is not going to suffer culture shock and leave (hand deliver them, never send them in as they probably won't even look at them). In my experience of Private schools, all expat teachers hired were married to Cypriots and the few singles that were hired lasted only a few months before they left without giving notice (which has made some Principals cautious of hiring expat singles and why it is always best to meet face to face rather than sending in CVs). You have to pester and make yourself heard - CVs are virtually useless in the Cypriot jobs market (apart from the month of May for teachers). The fact that almost all schools are now hiring should provide caution that teaching should not be considered a safe bet. In the past I have been told I was doing an excellent job, loved by the kids, parents, colleagues etc., and encouraged to give it my all in an English teaching post, only to be canned on the last day of my contract and replaced by a 21 year old Romanian lady (who was the sister of the headmaster's house maid) a cautionary tale that nepotism and who you know rather than what you know often rules the day. Always have a plan B!

Good luck!


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## Nic1 (Jan 26, 2013)

Hi Kimonas,

I've been searching the web for teaching in Cyprus and came across your post. It appears you have a wealth of experience/knowledge of the teaching situation in Cyprus - In this weeks TES online a number of teaching positions have been advertised for a school in Limassol called: Silverline Private School. I was wondering if you knew of the school and also what kind of salary, renumeration package that they or other schools in Cyprus might offer?

Hope you can help - many thanks!

Nic


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