Human Resource Management Practices in the Sector of Public Secondary Education in Greece : Weaknesses and Possible Remedies

This paper primarily aims at presenting the current situation of some critical Human Resource Management issues in Greek public secondary education, namely: staffing, performance appraisal, vocational training and development, motivation, job satisfaction and working conditions. Furthermore, some suggestions on the amelioration of Human Resource Management practices are proposed, with a view to turning the human factor into a valuable asset for public schools. In order for these aims to be achieved, an empirical survey has been conducted among teachers working in various school units of secondary education in Attica, investigating their perceptions on the issues at hand. The analysis of secondary education teachers’ answers demonstrated their mistrust, especially with some basic Human Resource Management practices, such as staffing and performance appraisal. Moreover, the teachers feel that they are not given enough opportunities to use their full capabilities, their autonomy in decision-making is rather limited and they seem to lack of career advancement prospects. They also expressed their concerns for not receiving enough feedback as regards their professional performance. Another alarming conclusion drawn is that there are increased levels of stress and a big burden of work among secondary school teachers. On the other hand, it has become obvious that they seem quite satisfied with their job and they feel that it gives them some opportunities for personal growth and self-improvement. All in all, the research analysis has revealed various weaknesses in secondary education processes, which could be addressed via the development and realization of a holistic approach to Human Resource Management. In this direction, some possible practical remedies are proposed