Behold, the Event Hall of Kykkos High School A'! At last, dear teachers, students, ladies and gentlemen. At last, I say, dear Director of the school, Mr. Dimitris Tagliadore, because it took many years, decades, for this school to acquire a modern and functional venue for its events.
In this hall, then, from today, we will hear a Greek speech, like the one we heard just now in your presentations. It will be a speech of reflection and intellectualism, but also of inspiration and art. The hall will also be filled with beautiful music, like the one we heard just before, and with beautiful performances, like the one that preceded it, which made the room smell of jasmine. It is intended and will be an additional spiritual laboratory that will contribute so that this school will continue, in its tradition, to be confirmed as an educational institution that creates education.
It is with great pleasure, ladies and gentlemen, dear students, that I am with you today to share an important moment in the life of this historic school. For it is indeed a special moment the inauguration of the Hall of Events of your school, the Lyceum Kykkos A'.
By handing over today to the school community, to the students and teachers alike, a modern and properly equipped hall for events, we come to complete the building infrastructure of the school and to provide a space through which school life can develop in its full range. The completion of this project is also the culmination of many years of effort. The fact that a school with the history and contribution of the Cyclops A High School did not until now have such a hall for its events was a shortcoming. There has indeed been this gap since the time of its establishment and I am particularly pleased since we are now coming to fill it.
The permanent goal of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth is to provide, in addition to basic teaching, a comprehensive education for students and to give them the opportunities to develop their skills and creativity in accordance with today's standards and tomorrow's trends. In order to provide education based on 21st century skills and the challenges ahead, appropriate facilities and infrastructure, such as this classroom, are essential. It is a prerequisite for the multifaceted development of the school's activities. With the facility created for gatherings and the comfortable organisation of events, new prospects are indeed opening up for the student and educational community.
It is as if we can already see ahead of us artistic events and national celebrations, lectures, debates, presentations and other activities that will be developed in this space and will complement the work of the school outside the classrooms as well.
I note, however, that it is also a personal honour for me personally to participate as Minister of Education in the substantial improvement of this school with such a great history and contribution to our society. It started operating in 1961, initially as a sixth form secondary school, under the name of the Pancyprian Boys' High School of Kykkos. In 1979 it became a co-educational school and accommodated both male and female students. In 1978, with the innovation adopted at that time, it was divided into a high school and a junior high school cycle, which were, however, co-located. Then, in 1986-87, the gymnasium cycle was transferred to other buildings and since then the school has been operating as Kykkos A' Lyceum.
Apart from its relatively long history and presence in the educational affairs of the capital and our country, the school of Kykkos has been distinguished by the presence of distinguished figures of contemporary Greek education in Cyprus. Brilliant teachers as well as principals have left their mark on Kykkos Lyceum A'. Indicatively I mention some names that we do not forget, such as Christakis Charalambous, Panagiotis Persianis, George Giannakas, Michael Stasopoulos, Antonis Kalogerou, Christos Hadjikalis, etc. There are also many former students, graduates, who have subsequently justified the reputation and good name of their school through their careers, their work, their presence and their contribution to society.
In its 61 years of operation, Kykkos A' Lyceum has had a successful educational career and today, continuing this tradition, it has a rich and fruitful school life with very good results, distinctions in competitions and great participation in European programmes, as well as rich events and activities. The school's facilities have been enhanced in recent years with the addition of a sports ground and the Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary, which was inaugurated in 2001. In particular, I would like to note that since 2016 the school has been adorned with its new large and important, for school standards, Library.
But I think that in the face of this work that has been completed and handed over, I must first of all warmly congratulate the Director, Mr. Dimitris Taliadoros. For both this Hall of Events and the general progress of the school are the result of his personal great love for Kykkos A Lyceum, his perseverance for improvement and his tireless efforts to ensure that Kykkos remains a benchmark in our education. His efforts and labors are being rewarded today as yet another vision is being realized and Kykkos High School A' will henceforth have this beautiful Hall of Events.
I certainly congratulate those who contributed to the realization of this project, architects, supervising engineers and others who worked closely with the School Board and the Technical Services of the Ministry. Their efforts and the result allow the Government of President Nicos Anastasiades to meet the goal set for this school to have the hall we are inaugurating today. Although it is an agency of the Ministry of Education and Science, I must again thank and congratulate the Technical Service and in the person of the Head, Mr. Andreas Marangos, all his colleagues. Of course, I could not omit to thank the School Ephorate of Egkomi, the current president, but also the former Mr. Kostasiou and for the generally very good and close cooperation we have had over the years.
Special thanks are also due to His Eminence Metropolitan of Kykkos and Tilliria and Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Our Lady of Kykkos Mr. Nikephoros. In his person and through his love and care for the school we see in general and the timeless support of the church for education, from the earlier troubled historical times of the Turkish occupation and the English colonial occupation, when the church was at the forefront of education, but also afterwards, when it has always assisted. But in particular, in this case, we must underline the contribution of I.M. Kykkos to the rebuilding of these two Lyceums of Kykkos in Nicosia and the personal unceasing interest of His Eminence and Abbot.
In handing over the work to the school community, I wholeheartedly express my blessing, which is strengthened since it is also a certainty that it will be a stepping stone and a beginning for new successes and glorious days in the life of Kykkos Lyceum A.
In handing over the work to the school community, I wholeheartedly express my blessing, which is strengthened since it is also a certainty that it will be an elevation and a beginning for new successes and glorious days in the life of Kykkos Lyceum A. May this Hall be well-rooted!
I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. With the expectation that it will be a year of peace, that this horrible war will end, that Russia will leave Ukraine, as Turkey must leave Cyprus.
Merry Christmas to all.
IP
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