The Minister of Education, Sports and Youth, Mrs Athina Michailidou, participated today in the work of the Parliamentary Committee on Education and Culture. After the session, the Minister made the following statements to journalists:
"I participated today, for the first time, in my capacity as Minister of Education, Sports and Youth, in the session of the Parliamentary Committee on Education, which was held in a very constructive atmosphere. Members of Parliament asked their questions and expressed their concerns and I was given the opportunity to respond to the issues raised.
During the session, issues that concern all of us, especially parents, teachers, pupils, students and students, were discussed, such as: the evaluation of pupils and teachers, the evaluation of the school unit, inclusive education, school infrastructure, the digital transformation of education, the integration of pupils with an immigrant biography in our education system, the market for services in education, etc.As I have already said, some preliminary positions were given, which also stem from the Governance Programme of the President of the Republic, and a dialogue was opened. I believe that in the process we will have the opportunity, through discussions with the House Committee on Education, to provide solutions to the various issues concerning our education system.
The discussion also focused on the quarters, which is a burning and urgent issue. Both I and my colleagues are at the disposal of the Legislature - it has already been announced by the President of the Republic that this cooperation is crucial - and especially the Parliamentary Committee on Education, so that we can address the common challenges for the benefit of our students, our pupils, but also our students and our young people in general."
The Minister of Education then answered questions from journalists.
Asked when a decision will be taken on the issue of four months, Michailidou said: "On the issue of quarters we don't have much time at our disposal. As I have already stated, we are working on two levels. The first level concerns this year, and within the week we will have our proposal ready, following the opinion of the Legal Service, which we expect within the next few days. But the main thing for us is to complete the consultation on the long-term planning, that is, how our students will be assessed, by grade, in the coming years."
Asked if there is any thinking that goes beyond the four-year period, Michailidou noted: "Our intention is to look at the issue of student assessment not in a piecemeal way and in isolation from anything else, but more globally, that is, to link it to pedagogical measures, such as curriculum discharge, modern pedagogical approaches to teaching and several other positions that we will include in our proposal for student assessment."
Asked whether a proposal for the abolition of four-year blocks should be put forward by the Government and not by the political parties, the Minister said: "Yes, the Ministry will submit a proposal to Parliament, which will be debated and we will come to a conclusion."
In response to a question whether a new term will be introduced for the four months and whether it will eventually be something else, Michailidou said: "Student assessment will be. We are keeping the positive aspects of the four-month philosophy, such as dividing the material into two parts and much more."
Asked about her reference during the parliamentary committee meeting that "we are the only country in the European Union that does not have a school assessment plan," Michailidou pointed out: "Yes, at the moment we are the only country in the EU that does not have a school unit evaluation plan, Greece has moved forward, but we are in the final stage of consultation on the issue, so we will be able, in the next period, to propose something concrete to the Parliament, through dialogue with our partners, always agreed, concerning the evaluation of the school unit."
IP
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