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It is with great pleasure that I welcome today's workshop entitled "European Year of Skills 2023", organised by the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth, through the Pedagogical Institute, in cooperation with the European Parliament Office in Cyprus. The event takes place a few days after "Europe Day 2023" and the launch of the European Year of Skills, thus becoming of particular interest.
The European Union, through the promotion of relevant initiatives and the use of financial instruments, plans to highlight opportunities for skills upgrading and re-skilling. The European Year of Skills aims to contribute to the further development of tools for collecting information on skills and to further promote transparency and easier and more rational recognition of professional qualifications. At the same time, it is expected to give a new impetus to lifelong learning, enabling citizens and businesses to contribute to the green and digital transition and supporting innovation and competitiveness. The rapporteur for the European Year of Skills is our compatriot MEP Loukas Fourlas, whom we warmly congratulate. This is a particularly honourable development for our Cyprus. We are confident that we will have an excellent cooperation, for the benefit of our students, our young people and the Cypriot society at large.
The rapid educational, labour, social and technological changes in modern society and in the school of the 21st century require a deeper understanding of how we develop modern skills and turn them into opportunities for progress and change. We are confident that today's workshop will contribute to this.
The pedagogical integration of technical skills as well as horizontal general purpose skills in learning practice, and the development of digital and "green" skills, are essential ingredients for improving the quality of life of our children and young people and for promoting social development at all levels. Our ultimate goal is to equip the new generation with the necessary knowledge and skills to be able to cope with future challenges, both in the workplace and in everyday life.
Our vision is to create a modern, effective and non-discriminatory school, in which students and teachers work creatively to continuously improve learning levels and personal well-being. Our aim is to equip every child with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to be ready to make the most of their abilities and talents on a personal, educational, professional and social level, so that they, in turn, can improve the quality of life in Cypriot society.
Based on the above, and within the framework of the President's Governance Programme of the President of the Republic, we promote actions and policies aimed at development and prosperity, with a people-centred perspective. Our education system has a key role to play in shaping principles and values and in cultivating the knowledge and skills that we want to distinguish democratic and critically thinking people in our society.
By way of illustration, here are some such educational policy axes promoted by the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth:
- Modernisation and continuous updating of the curricula to promote the development and cultivation of skills and a focus from teaching to learning and from subject matter to content. By further investing in skills and based on modern pedagogical principles, we aim to improve learning outcomes and provide equal opportunities for all children to access and participate in the learning process and the school community, without exclusion and discrimination.
- Development of teaching and learning materials in all subjects, at all school levels, to support teachers, pupils, students, parents and guardians in order to acquire key skills.
- Integration of modern technologies, such as robotics and programming,[/I] and enhancement of digital skills of teachers and students.[/I]
- Integration of modern technologies, such as robotics and programming, and enhancement of digital skills of teachers and students. The digital transformation of schools is an important part of our broader digital transition policy and is included in the Recovery and Resilience Plan, with an overall implementation horizon of 2026.
- Operation of skills workshops from kindergarten to high school and technical schools, based on curricula and timetables and current priorities and needs.
- Extend, again in the context of the Recovery and Resilience Plan, free compulsory pre-primary education, which has much to offer in terms of skills development, from the age of four.
- Strengthen Technical and Vocational Education and Training, with a focus on skills development. Note the significant development of the construction of two new, model Technical Schools, co-financed by European Funds.
- Strengthening the work of the Unit of Education for the Environment and Sustainable Development, with the aim of monitoring the implementation and updating the National Strategic Plan for Environmental Education, focusing on Sustainable Development.
- Upgrading the institution of all-day schools, incorporating opportunities to cultivate a variety of skills.
- Orientation of Teachers' Professional Learning towards flexible and innovative learning experiences and processes, for maximum use of the excellent teaching staff and more effective organisation of our schools, in order to achieve the best possible learning outcomes.
- Adopting modern lifelong learning models to provide citizens of all ages with formal, non-formal and informal education opportunities to develop modern skills.
Our young people are the future and hope of our country. We need to address education and youth issues responsibly and carefully, because our children deserve a country that is fair, socially sensitive and with high quality employment opportunities.
As already announced, 2024 has been declared the Year of Youth for our country, which will follow on from the efforts made during the European Year of Skills 2023.
The Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth is particularly sensitive to the development and cultivation of skills that provide a wide range of opportunities and experiences for our young people to learn, innovate, communicate, express themselves, collaborate and actively participate in society. A systematic focus on the development and cultivation of skills is now a necessity, not a luxury. For our Ministry, this becomes a priority, through relevant holistic policies and continuous upgrading of the objectives, content and learning process of education.
Through a variety of actions, the Ministry will support the Europe-wide effort for the Year of Skills, encouraging initiatives to study diverse and changing skills. This is the context of today's Workshop, which will present and discuss various aspects of the interaction of skills with education, work, society, youth and the environment.
The contributions from different educational, work, political and social contexts will guarantee the quality and success of the Workshop. The great interest in the participation of teachers, education officials, representatives of the State, academics, young people, institutions and organisations with an active role within and outside the school context is also important.
We are confident that the presenters' statements and the discussions that will develop will contribute to strengthening the ongoing efforts to modernise our education system and promote formal, non-formal and informal education. In addition, the Workshop will provide us with important information and documentation, contributing to our efforts for a substantial improvement of our educational system and our society in general.
I would like to congratulate the Pedagogical Institute, which, in cooperation with the European Parliament Office in Cyprus and following the recommendation of Mr.
In conclusion, I would like to send a message of collective effort in order to arrive at pedagogically sound decisions and solutions, giving opportunities to our young people to showcase their talents, abilities and skills and to really have the opportunities they deserve, for a better and sustainable future for all.
In conclusion, I would like to send a message of collective effort in order to arrive at pedagogically sound decisions and solutions, giving opportunities to our young people to showcase their talents, abilities and skills and to really have the opportunities they deserve, for a better and sustainable future for all. The aim is to translate this goal into action.
Thanking you for the invitation, I declare the proceedings of the Workshop open, wishing it every success in its work.
Contents of this article including associated images are owned by PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
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