The Minister of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth, Mr Prodromos Prodromou, participated on Thursday, 3 March 2022, in a Ministerial Conference on the development of a common European "profile" of teachers ("Embedding European Perspectives in Teacher Development"), which took place in Poitiers, France, in the framework of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The Conference, which was also open to the general public and followed online, was attended by ministers, policy makers, experts and teachers. The aim was to highlight the important role of teachers in shaping the European Education Area and in particular to seek and identify professional standards and pedagogical practices leading to a "European teacher profile".
The conference was preceded by a joint statement condemning the invasion and war in Ukraine and expressing solidarity with teachers, children and the people of Ukraine.
According to the statement by the French Minister for Education, Sport and Youth, Jean-Michel Blanquer, who chaired the meeting and underlined the successful development of teacher mobility within the European area, the next objective should be to cultivate, both through the Teachers' Academies and other actions, a profile of the "European Teacher".
The Minister of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth participated as keynote speaker in the third session, where participants were invited to discuss the issue of teacher mobility and networking, with the aim of creating a community of European teachers and school leaders. In his intervention, Prodromou noted that it may still be difficult to have a unified planning in the education policy of the EU Member States, but the conditions are maturing to further intensify mobility and exchanges between teachers and to move towards the development of the profile and identity of the "European Teacher". He mentioned that apart from common pedagogical approaches, certain common priorities such as digital transition and education for sustainable development/responding to the climate crisis, the common principles and values of a united Europe are at the core of a European teacher profile.
Speaking about the catalytic role of the European Erasmus+ programme in enhancing teacher mobility, he underlined the positive aspects of participation in the programme, including the improvement of national policies in the field of teacher mobility. He added that Cypriot teachers, as well as the Ministry, participate and try to enhance mobility through the existing programmes
Finally, Mr Prodromou underlined the importance of the Erasmus+ Teachers Academies in shaping the European Education Area and enhancing the quality, integration and digital and green transition of the education systems of the Member States of the European Union. Underlining the need to invest in teachers, he said that Cyprus' participation in the first Erasmus+ Teachers Academies will be particularly beneficial for Cyprus as they address important issues in education, such as active citizenship, social justice and digital transition. He concluded by saying that Cyprus actively supports this initiative, which started with the French Presidency, awaiting the first results of the institutions that have achieved participation in the Erasmus+ Teacher Academies, in which the Pedagogical Institute of the Ministry of Education of Cyprus participates as a partner.
In response to a question on the high participation rate that puts Cyprus among the first countries in terms of European mobility, the Minister referred both to socio-historical reasons and objective factors, as well as to the culture of the people and the Government's policy.
In particular, he noted that, first of all, Cyprus' island character and its position at the south-eastern edge of the European area pushes the country in general towards extroversion and this is positive for exchanges and contacts. Moreover, the general attitude of Cypriot citizens towards a united Europe and the further development of ties and cohesion certainly favours the participation of teachers in networking within the European area.
Next, he said, Cypriots are over time familiar with the idea of studying abroad, since the operation of universities in Cyprus is a relatively recent development and thus a large part of teachers who have already done their basic or at least postgraduate studies outside Cyprus are ready to participate in programmes in Cyprus. The relatively significant language proficiency among Cypriots, related to the above, is also a determining factor. He added that a general social environment that recognises and prioritises investment in knowledge, skills and studies also plays an important role. Finally, he pointed out that the policy of the Government and the Ministry, which favours mobility and European networking in education, certainly plays a role.
On the sidelines of the conference, the Minister met with Mrs Bénédicte Robert, Rector of the Academy of Poitiers, with whom he discussed the possibility of cooperation between schools under her jurisdiction and schools in Cyprus.
IP
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