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- Ελληνικά
It is with great pleasure that I am here to address the Educational Conference on "Knowing, Not Forgetting, Claiming and the Teaching of Contemporary History of Cyprus in Primary Schools", organized by the Kyrenia District Office of the Pancyprian Organization of Greek Teachers (POED), the Committee on Educational Issues and the Kyrenia District Headmasters' Association. I warmly congratulate the organizers, both for taking initiatives that explore issues of historical memory and its pedagogical management, and more generally for their contribution to the education of our country and their commitment to the effort to upgrade our educational system.
Exactly fifty years after the Turkish invasion and with its tragic consequences still causing multiple difficulties, grief and disappointment to our people, actions like today's are an occasion to strengthen our policies for the empowerment of our children, so that they are able to claim by peaceful means the reunification and liberation of our homeland and the longed-for return to our occupied territories. The Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth attaches particular importance to the cultivation and development of the historical memory of our students. In this context, through the promotion of the timeless goal "I know, I do not forget, I claim", we seek to acquaint them with our occupied land and to bring them into contact with history. In particular, through the teaching of history and the study of authentic historical sources, our students' search for historical truth, the cultivation of their historical and critical thinking, as well as the possibility of rational interpretation of historical events are sought.
In this direction, curricula and textbooks of history at all levels of education are called upon to play an important role.
To this end, curricula and textbooks of history at all levels of education are called upon to play an important role.
To this end, curricula and textbooks of history are called upon to play an important role. Their modernization and updating, in order to provide opportunities for critical investigation of the modern history of Cyprus, should be done in such a way that our children are able to broaden their historical scope away from fanaticism and intolerance. Already, as we have announced, we will proceed, through the appointment of a special committee, both to modernize the existing educational material and to write new material, especially on the modern history of our country.
History is the preeminent subject that can cultivate critical thinking and creativity. The study of the past helps us to understand the present and face the future with greater wisdom.
The issues raised in the classroom, the questions asked by teachers and students are many and the basic information is blurred.
Dear teachers,
As a State, we recognize your long-standing contribution, through the important work you do, to the continuous improvement of the education provided in our country. We also acknowledge the special demands of your work, since every day you are called upon not only to impart knowledge but also to blaze trails, to become a source of inspiration, to cultivate attitudes and to highlight life values for our children. That is why it is our priority to ensure your professional development, enabling you to be able to apply modern teaching methods which, by allowing your personal autonomy, will lead to the achievement of the best possible learning outcomes and the progress of our children. At the same time, through the restructuring of the curricula and the modernization of our school textbooks, we must give you all the necessary guarantees to continue with even greater vigour your efforts for the critical investigation of the history of Cyprus.
At the same time, the State and teachers are called upon to work together so that our Education continues to cultivate the values of freedom, justice and love for our fellow man and our country. We must ensure that the new generation will continue to seek, in a peaceful way, the liberation and reunification of our Cyprus. I have no doubt that, through its proceedings, the analyses of its distinguished speakers and the workshops that will follow, conclusions will emerge that will enhance our efforts to produce historically literate students with a wealth of historical knowledge and judgment.
(AF/MS)
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