Members of the Parliamentary Committee on Education expressed their disagreement, with the intention, they said, of the Ministry of Education to exclude ineligible students from the Pancyprian entrance exams for universities in Cyprus and Greece.
Opposition MPs also expressed their dismay at the fact that the Ministry has not yet tabled a relevant bill with amendments for the conduct of the Pancyprian Entrance Examinations for higher and higher educational institutions in Cyprus and Greece. However, it has committed to do so by April 7, they said.
"It is our position that through the cooperation of the executive and legislative powers, any amendments should be regulated as soon as possible so that these exams can be held without any problems," DISY MP Giorgos Karoullas said in a statement after the session.
The Ministry of Education, he said, pledged that on April 7 it will submit a relevant bill with the amendments they have agreed through cooperation so that the issues can be regulated. The aim, he said, should be to strengthen the access examination system so that with appropriate timelines, seniors are discharged.
Christos Christofides, AKEL MP[/B], said that "unfortunately, once again the Ministry of Education was not able to submit a specific bill on the changes that need to be made in order for the Pancyprian Examinations to be held this year without problems and without legal obstacles."
He said that while a political decision has been taken so long ago, April is coming and seniors are feverishly preparing for their final exams and entrance exams, but the Ministry is still discussing the legislative arrangements that need to be made.
Mr. Christofides also said the Ministry of Education told them today that its aim[/B] is to exclude unexamined students from the Pancyprian entrance exams for universities in Cyprus and Greece.
[/P][BR][BR]"We are not going to pass such a regulation," Christofides said. Especially this year, he added, "with the failure of the four-month exams, there is a risk of a higher number of unexamined students." Excluding them from the entrance exams, he said, will deprive a large number of places in public universities in Cyprus and Greece from seniors who in a few days may pass their exams and get a diploma, but will not be able to claim a place in universities. Christofides said that this year the final exam for seniors is changing, which is also used for admission purposes, and there will be two final exams, one for dismissal purposes and one for admission to public universities, and the corresponding legislative arrangements must be made.
Asked if the Pancyprian Examinations are in the air, Christofides replied that "it would be an exaggeration to say that," as developments have been initiated and what has not been done so far is the legislative arrangements so that they can proceed based on the political decision on how the examinations will be held this year. "There is a commitment to table them on April 7 and there is a commitment from the Education Committee that they will look at this bill expeditiously to finally resolve this pending matter," he said.
DPA MP Alekos Tryfonides said that the revision of the institutional framework regarding the Pancyprian Examinations was discussed in order to be in line with the new timetables with the four months created, and due to the pandemic, for the smooth operation of the Pancyprian Examinations. The overall reform of the Pancyprian Examinations will be considered later, he said.
He said their disagreement with the Ministry of Education, in terms of the points they have considered, is, the exclusion of students who will be ineligible in the second quarter, from the Pancyprian Examinations.
"They should be given the opportunity to attend the Pancyprian Examinations and if they subsequently pass the examination in the second quarter they should have the chance to enter universities," he said.
"This is our disagreement with the Ministry, we believe that the Education Committee as a whole will help these children and give them a second chance," he added.
"Here is our disagreement with the Ministry, we believe that the Education Committee as a whole will help these children and give them a second chance," he added.
Special arrangements for students from Tillyria
Mr. Tryfonidis also said that they raised a long-standing demand that has been raised by the PPP since last year and today by other MPs, which is the special arrangements that he said should be made for children from the Tilliria area, for their admission to universities, namely that they should be given more credits.
These children, he said, suffer daily with their parents, and are forced to go to tutorials either in Paphos or Nicosia. "They live there and guard Thermopylae and this state should support them with this special arrangement as is done with the special arrangement for children living and studying in Karpasia," he added.
Source: CNA
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