No one disagrees with the extension of pre-primary education to 4 years, AKEL MP Christos Christofides said in a statement in Parliament on the issue, which was discussed on Wednesday in the Parliamentary Education Committee, adding that there is a serious disagreement on how this extension will be done in principle.
"Do we accept the logic that the state has an obligation to provide public free education to all citizens during the time it is compulsory? Yes or no? We say yes, and we cannot enter into a logic which basically says that where there are building problems - for example, in a high school or a middle school or an elementary school - the solution is, instead of looking at how we as a state meet these needs, to give vouchers to students to find a solution in the private sector themselves. These things do not happen," he added.
Christofides said that no one disagrees with the extension of pre-primary education to four years, "not the political forces, not the educational organizations, not anyone. On this point there is unanimity."
On how this expansion will be done there is serious disagreement on the question of principle, he added. "We believe that we must guard to the hilt the obligation and necessity for the state to be able to provide public free education to those of its citizens who choose to do so. If not, we will enter into other, very dangerous logics. After all, the ruling party's logic of education with vouchers is well known," he said.
At the same time, he said that the AKEL amendment saying that the minister does not have the right to change the district of pupils enrolling in schools was tabled in the Education Committee, which effectively removed the minister's right to send pupils to private kindergartens. "This amendment unfortunately did not pass the majority. The second amendment - from DIKO says that in '23-'24, '24-'25 students can attend public kindergartens and in '25-26 it leaves the loophole open to send them to private kindergartens as well. And another EPP amendment that passed says that from '26 onwards all students must attend public kindergartens. In short, a window was left for '25-'26," he added.
For AKEL, Christofides continued, the very important question of principle remains and reiterated that this position and their amendment will be submitted to the plenary session of the Parliament.
"Because the educational organisations are right that when you open such loopholes, the loopholes will become doors and the doors will become gates and with the same logic tomorrow, when we face difficulties in meeting needs, instead of correcting this distortion, some will adopt the logic of vouchers: Get a voucher, cut your head off and go to college wherever you want. These are neither serious educational policies nor serious social policies," he concluded.
Source: KYPE
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