Zacharaki: 30,000 substitute teachers appointed on September 1st

Education Minister Sofia Zacharaki stated, in statements broadcast by CNN Greece on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, that approximately 30,000 substitute teachers were appointed on September 1, 2026. According to the minister, this represents the largest first phase of substitute teacher appointments in the last decade, aimed—as she noted—at reducing vacant positions in schools. Ms. Zacharaki also noted that nationwide examinations will be held as scheduled. The minister did not proceed, according to the broadcasts, with a detailed breakdown of this number by education level or region, nor did she specify how many vacancies remain in total. The minister’s statements concerned the whole country, without reference to specific regions or education levels.

The system of substitute teachers is used systematically in Greece to fill organic vacancies not covered by permanent appointments, with appointments made in phases at the beginning of each school year. The first phase of appointments, such as the one announced for September 1, 2026, is traditionally considered critical, as it largely determines whether schools will open with full staffing or if additional successive appointments will be needed in the following weeks. The scale of approximately 30,000 appointments mentioned by the minister, if confirmed as the largest first phase of the last decade, would indicate the ministry’s effort to limit delayed staffing phenomena that have been recorded in the past at the beginning of the school year.

In practice, this announcement directly affects the operation of school units nationwide, as substitutes fill teaching positions in classes that would otherwise remain without an educator. The issue of school staffing remains, however, a matter of contention in public debate, with teaching unions expressing different views at times from those presented by the ministry’s political leadership. In this context, the OLME is conducting work stoppages this year that extend until October 2. No public statement from OLME specifically regarding today’s announcement by the minister has been recorded, and this article does not assign responsibility or judge which side describes the school vacancy situation accurately.

The minister did not clarify, according to the broadcasts, whether additional phases of substitute teacher appointments will follow during autumn, nor did she provide a specific timeline for completing any remaining vacancies. Her statement that nationwide examinations will be held as scheduled also remained without further analysis, with no reference to dates or the 2027 National Exams schedule. The ministry has not announced, as of the time of writing this article, newer information beyond what was broadcast by CNN Greece. For further developments in education, TodayGrid is monitoring the issue in the Education section.