The Parliamentary Committee on Education and Culture met in session today, Wednesday, 6 April 2022, and discussed the following issues:
1. The Operation of Public Secondary Schools (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations, 2021.
(Fak. No. 23.03.057.111-2020)
The Committee began consideration of the above regulations, the purpose of which is to enable the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport to allow student elections or part thereof to be conducted by electronic voting, ensuring the protection and security of personal data, the reliability, accessibility, verifiability and transparency thereof, in the event of natural disasters or pandemic or emergency situations and where students are unable to participate in the election process The Cyprus State Scholarships Foundation (Establishment and Operation) (Amendment) Law of 2021[/B]
(File No. 23.01.062.204-2021)
The Committee began consideration of the above bill, the purpose of which is to modernize the legislative framework and provides, inter alia:
a. the ability of the Board of Trustees to override the recommendation of the Selection Committee if the number of applicants for a scholarship is equal to or less than the number of scholarships offered;
b. specifying the qualifications that may be earned by the award of a scholarship;
c. the deletion of the requirement for reimbursement of the scholarship amounts paid in the event that a scholar discontinues his/her studies during the first year (note that the matter has been regulated internally so that the scholarship is awarded at the end of the academic year, once it has been established that all criteria have been met),
d. the deletion of the provision providing for the retroactive effect of the regulations concerning the procedure for suspension, renewal, termination of scholarships and the transfer of scholarship holders from one educational institution to another.
The Committee decided to continue consideration of the Bill at its next meeting.
3.The Cyprus State Scholarships Foundation (General) (Amendment) Regulations 2021.
(File No. 23.03.058.078-2021)
The Committee commenced consideration of the above Regulations, which provide, inter alia:
a. the possibility of awarding scholarships to candidates who have satisfactorily completed any year of undergraduate study and have enrolled in the following year;
b. the elimination of age criteria for candidates to apply for scholarships;
c. the removal of the restriction for claiming a scholarship in case of partial attendance of a candidate.
The Committee decided to continue the examination of the regulations at its next meeting.
The planning of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth for the Transnational School in Larnaca.
(Self-examination following a recommendation by Mr. Christos Orphanides, Mr. Prodromos Alabritis, Mr. Andreas Pasiourtidis and Mr. Andreas Apostolou)
(File No. 23.04.038.1128-2021)
The Committee was informed about the planning and timelines for the completion of the project of the Transnellian School in Larnaca. According to the information provided to the Committee regarding the use of the site where the school is located, it was reported that within 2022 the study demonstrating the need for a special high school is expected to be completed, within 2023 the study determining the cost of the project will be completed and by 2027 the work is expected to be completed. In conclusion, the committee decided to monitor the issue and come back within two months to discuss it.
5. The need for the creation of public university schools in Larnaca and developments on where the whole issue stands today.
(Ex-officio examination following a recommendation by the Parliamentary Committee on Education and Culture and Mr. Christos Orphanides, Sotiris Ioannou and Andreas Pasiourtidis)
(File No. 23.04.039.080-2022)
The committee was informed by the responsible persons about the possibility of creating a university school in Larnaca by the University of Cyprus and TEPAK, as well as about the decision to create a school of the sea. In this regard, the Committee asked the relevant persons to send specific information in relation to the studies already carried out and decided to return within one month to discuss the matter.
The University of Cyprus (Disciplinary Control of Academic and Other Teaching Staff) (Amendment) Regulations 2021.
(File No. 23.03.057.110-2020)
The Committee decided to forward the above regulations to the plenary session of the College dated 14 April 2022 for approval.
The purpose of these regulations is to enable the University of Cyprus Disciplinary Control Committee:
a. to impose disciplinary sanctions on a member of the academic or other teaching staff in the event of conviction by a criminal court for specific offences,
b. suspend a member of academic or other teaching staff if an investigation of disciplinary misconduct is ordered against him or her,
c. impose a financial penalty on a member of academic or other teaching staff if he or she fails to appear before it or refuses to answer a question.
The regulations referred to are intended to close the gap identified in the legislative framework and recorded in the Audit Office's report for the year 2015.
It should be noted that the above regulations were also considered by the Committee during the previous Parliamentary Session, but it was not possible to complete their study.
Secretariat of the Parliamentary Committee on Education and Culture E-mail: parliamentary-committees@parliament.cy
(MB/SX)
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