[InTime News]
The Education Ministry is deploying an AI-powered platform to predict teacher shortages and accelerate school staffing, officials said.
The system, called Eduplan.ai, will aggregate data from education and public administration databases to forecast teacher needs by specialty and school, match available educators to vacancies based on qualifications and preferences, and recalculate placements when absences or resignations occur mid-year.
The ministry hopes the platform – budgeted at €3.72 million and financed through EU structural funds – will enable substitute teacher hirings by mid-July, before the school year begins, rather than in staggered waves through the first four months of classes. Officials acknowledged the staffing problem stems from multiple variables including demographic shifts, school mergers, retirements, and teachers refusing assigned posts. Budget pressures also play a role, since substitute pay begins only upon reporting to duty.
Education Minister Sofia Zacharaki said the system would allow authorities to “intervene promptly and in a targeted manner” based on reliable data.