The Minister of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth, Mr Prodromos Prodromou, made statements today at the Ministry on the staffing of Music Schools.
Specifically, Mr Prodromou said: "I would like to refer to the Music Schools that have been operating in secondary education for some years now and the very good work they do.
Moreover, the excellent results are well known and reach the wider public through events and other opportunities, where the work of the Music Schools can be seen. In some cases the good results are also seen outside Cyprus.
What I want to stress is that we must be careful of populism and misinformation which can unfairly and unjustifiably create discussions and shadows even for such a successful institution.
The references on the part of AKEL to "dismissing the teachers of the Music Schools" are clearly misleading. It is a common lie. And when they come from an organisation that ought to know the rules and procedures - and therefore has no right to talk about "dismissal" or "prohibition of reappointment" - they are a crude example of populism and irresponsibility. I am making this report today because this is not an isolated incident. It is one of the many cases in which noise is created with extreme populism about education issues, issues that should be treated with national responsibility.
On the occasion of the unwarranted noise, protests and publications in the past few days, I point out the danger of being carried away by populism and irresponsible posturing, and urge all concerned to be vigilant and to ward off, as appropriate, both misinformation and populism.
Music Schools are staffed by qualified personnel who undergo special and merit-based evaluation, including through auditions. To the extent possible, they are staffed by teachers in accordance with the existing procedures governing the operation of the Education Service and where any needs cannot be met, staffing is supplemented by purchasing services. Beginning in 2019 following evaluations of all evening programs where needs cannot be met, staffing is supplemented by purchasing services. This will continue and we hope that at some point all specialties will be covered by permanent staff and we will be released from the purchase of services, an issue that has been a long-standing demand of trade unions. It goes without saying that those who participate in the services market and are de facto qualified can always, like everyone else, participate in the procedures for appointment to the Education Service.
The complaints we have heard relate to 15-20, at most 25 teaching periods nationwide, which some would like to see covered by the services market rather than by the placement of professional teachers. The same practice has been followed that has been in place for years now, with an attempt to place - if available - teachers who have been evaluated and competed. Those interested could, if they wished, participate in the appointment tests themselves, as did other colleagues who successfully participated. But if they do not wish to obtain professional status as a teacher, then they should be aware that the market for services should only be considered as a complementary process, depending on the prevailing conditions and circumstances. In fact, this is something that those concerned knew a long time ago.
The whole issue that was politically stirred up concerned only a few individuals and was in fact personal. It is a shame and unfair for AKEL to create misleading impressions in the Parliamentary Committee and, prompted by populist motives, to rush to cause a disturbance out of nothing and create misleading impressions about the Music Schools, which is a successful institution.
In addition, in an effort to strengthen the Music Schools, we have decided that music high schools and music high schools will operate in the same schools in order to develop synergies and provide better continuity for students. This will happen from the next school year both at the Pancyprian Gymnasium in Nicosia, for which there was a separate decision to operate as a sixth-grade secondary school without a geographical region, and at other schools in the other provinces, depending on local circumstances.
I would also like to refer to the Sports Schools, for which we are receiving requests and petitions from some parents and to inform you that in the coming days, at a press conference, all relevant information and updates will be provided by the competent services of the Ministry."
IP
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