Nasos Iliopoulos, a member of the New Left party, raised a critical question in Parliament yesterday regarding the lack of institutional support for substitute teachers who suffer from serious health problems. He stated on social media later: "Are you a substitute teacher with cancer? Your ministry forces you to choose between your treatment and your salary."

The Greek Ministry of Education Religious Affairs and Sports, led by Minister Sofia Zacharaki, had failed to respond to Iliopoulos’ initial inquiry on the matter. Yesterday, during a second intervention in Parliament, the New Left MP reiterated the glaring absence of any meaningful support measures for teachers in such situations.

Iliopoulos shared the specific case of a teacher diagnosed with cancer who received her appointment just as she needed to undergo treatment. Despite requesting to work remotelly due to her health condition, she was told no, and had to choose between treatment or losing seven days’ salary.

The MP read an excerpt from the teacher’s letter, which described the cynicism of the administrative response. The teacher was told she could take unpaid leave, even though there is no institutional framework allowing substitute teachers to work remotely while receiving treatment. Iliopoulos raised the question again:

“If a teacher is faced with this situation, will they still be covered by the current institutional framework, or will they have to choose between their salary or their treatment?”

Iliopoulos concluded his speech by criticising the government’s overall stance towards the education sector, reminding Parliament of the harsh police crackdown on recent teachers’ protests and the government’s refusal to engage in dialogue with educators. “There was no discussion. It was all about violence and tear gas,” he said.

Later, in another social media post, he highlighted the issue further, stating:

“Are you a substitute teacher with cancer? The Ministry forces you to choose between your treatment or your salary. This may seem unthinkable, but it is the reality faced by substitute teachers.”

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