It was held yesterday, Monday, 16 May 2022, at the Hall of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth, the Award Ceremony of the students who excelled in the 6th Pancyprian High School Student Competition in Ancient Greek Language on the theme "Friend, other me".
The Minister of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Mr. Prodromos Prodromou, in his address, which was read by Dr. Irene Paraskeva Rodosthenous, First Officer of Education, stated that "this competition, which has become an institution since 2016, attracts the interest of many students (the number of entries each year approaches or exceeds one hundred), as well as many teachers who promote the philosophy of the competition and support the work of their students. This fact can only fill us with great satisfaction, since as the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth, we promote and support actions that aim at the promotion and cultivation of the Greek language and the inculcation of ancient Greek education".
Maria Pavlou, Assistant Professor of Ancient Greek Language and Literature at the Theological School of the Church of Cyprus, presented her paper entitled "Study or children? Dilemma or false dilemma". As she explained, she put the terms "study" and "children" in the title of her presentation, not only because she believes that the High School Contest in Ancient Greek "achieves the equivalence of the two, but also because this particular dipole is very often found in Plato and reflects the attitude adopted by the model teacher of antiquity, the well-known Socrates. In all the Platonic dialogues, Socrates walks a tightrope between 'study' and 'pedian'. On the one hand, he asks his interlocutors difficult, complex and often dead-end questions; on the other hand, he jokes with them, asks them to make imaginative assumptions and examine them, is ridiculous, self-mocking and, most importantly, is not bound by time. Because even the most difficult problems take time, imagination, creativity and a dose of freedom to solve. To find the hopeless, you must seek it, Heraclitus said. In this light, the question "Study or children" is a pseudo-dilemma, since children, given that they are legitimate and purposeful (i.e. that they are governed by rules and have specific objectives), should and must permeate the teaching and learning process, not only of Ancient Greek but of all subjects in general". With an imaginative and eloquent speech, Mrs Pavlou inspired and gave valuable advice for every aspect of everyone's life, praising - to paraphrase Nietzsche - the importance of patience, the daring of radical actions and the simultaneous preservation of our childhood innocence.
A total of 115 entries were sent to the Competition in all categories (A. Illustrated story [IN COMIC FORM], B. Poem, C. The entries were evaluated by a three-member jury, different for each category. Maro Melanidou, Inspector of Literature Courses, stated that "several entries stood out for the creative transformation of the ancient Greek passages, the emergence of the timelessness and universality of the messages in relation to the theme of friendship, the apt integration of original ancient Greek phrases from ancient Greek texts into modern Greek speech. The students perceived experientially the value of friendship, cultivated their critical thinking and creativity, utilized their aptitudes and interests, thus applying authentic learning."
At the ceremony, the students themselves presented the works that were awarded the First Prize, arousing the emotion and admiration of those present.
The event concluded with the awarding of prizes to the distinguished students and the presentation of honorary diplomas to the teachers who guided and supported participation in the Competition.
The Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth undertook the organization of the competition, while the design of the ceremony materials was carried out by the Programme Development Service.
The award ceremony was organized by the Ancient Greek Working Group of the Directorate of Secondary General Education.
(MG/EXP)
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