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- Ελληνικά
The President of the Republic Mr.Nikos Christodoulides chaired a meeting today at the Presidential Palace on issues concerning the development of Higher Education in Cyprus.
The meeting was attended by the Minister of Education, Sports and Youth Ms.Athena Michaelides, the Minister of Finance Mr. Makis Kerynos, Minister of Interior Mr. Konstantinos Ioannou, Minister of Labour and Social Insurance Mr. Yiannis Panayiotou, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Kyriakos Kouros and officials.
After the meeting, the Minister of Education in her statements to journalists said: "We had a meeting on the development of higher education in our country. As you know, the issue of education in general is a key priority and is the pillar in the Governance Programme to which we attach great importance. We discussed specific measures and actions that will help to upgrade higher education in our country so that Cyprus becomes a regional centre of higher education, which is our goal more broadly, and especially in the Governance Programme. The specific measures and actions were discussed between us, with the President of the Republic himself moderating the meeting. Actions, roles and responsibilities were taken, so that in November we will meet again to see the outcome of the whole effort.
The aim is to proceed in the immediate future with such measures, decisions and regulations, which will allow us to have the quality Higher Higher Education that we seek for our country, which will be attractive both for foreign students and for our own students and which will allow our country to be, as I have said, a Regional Centre of Higher Education.
Then, Ms. Michaelidou, in response to a journalist's question regarding where these measures will be focused, said: "The measures are multi-level and concern both incentive issues and housing issues. They also concern issues of linking the programmes to the labour market. The common thread is the improvement of quality, so that really the programmes offered by our Universities and Colleges are at the level they should be, so that we can be proud of the Higher Education of our country."
Asked if incentives will be given to third country students to study in Cyprus, Michailidou noted: "Incentives will be given to other students as well as students from third countries. This was one of the measures."
Asked if there are plans to open new schools in some other cities, the Education Minister said: "We keep getting requests to open Faculties and to establish new Universities. We need to look seriously at this issue, as we have said before, so that everything we do is in line with the strategic objective we have as a Government, for quality Higher Education in our country. So both the procedures for the approval of the operation of a School or a University, the content of the Programmes and the employment of our graduates by the Universities must be effective and targeted."
In response to a comment that the unions expect a dialogue to begin soon to start resolving the open chapters in the education sector and whether a meeting has been arranged with them, the Education Minister said, "We focused on the start of the school year, which was quite smooth. The issues, which are chronic and large, require further dialogue. We have already announced the dialogue concerning the improvement and restructuring of Special Education, which starts now, in October. We have also announced the dialogue on the optional full-day school, something that all stakeholders are asking for, and dates will be set to hold meetings with all stakeholders, not only with teachers and parents, but also with the people who work in these programs."
In response to a question regarding what is the biggest problem facing the education sector today, Michailidou said: "Education, the education system is, as we said, labyrinthine, it has too many issues. One is linked to the other, I cannot prioritise them. Each has its importance and value. The important thing is that we have developed mechanisms to solve problems and we have already started dynamically in this direction. I think that the most sensitive of all the issues, and the most urgent at the moment, is the issue of special education."
Asked about school assistants/chaperones and in response to a comment that there are up to three children with one school chaperone, Michailidou said: "From the moment a special education student is enrolled in our schools to the moment they leave the education system, we have to look at all stages of their attendance. This involves the diagnosis, hence the Committees, which assess the issues the child is facing, the programme he or she is following and whether or not he or she will need a chaperone. With regard to chaperones, let me say that it is certainly allowed by law and required by pedagogy that there is no exclusive chaperone for a child unless absolutely necessary. So a chaperone can be shared, is that allowed, depending on the nature of the issue being addressed. Then there is the assessment of these children in the education system. We will discuss all this with our partners and we have already announced that at the beginning of October, in the presence of the President of the Republic himself, a structured dialogue on the improvement of structures and procedures relating to Special Education will begin."
Asked whether the increase in the number of all-day schools is being discussed, Ms. Michaelidou replied that: "Of course, there is constant interest, which is why we attach great importance to full-day schools, both in primary and secondary education. Full-day school can also be a continuation of morning school. It can be significantly upgraded, and that is our aim, to have curricula for the subjects that children do, to give pupils the opportunity to certify their knowledge at the Day School, that is, to sit for examinations, such as, for example, in languages or IT, so that they do not have to go to tutorials for all this, and generally to upgrade the quality of our children's time at the Day School.
Asked about the issue that has arisen with the Pallouriotissa Lyceum and whether an investigation is being carried out by the Ministry, the Minister of Education said. No change has been made with regard to the uniform of the children. In general, I believe that whatever is decided should be decided through dialogue," the Minister of Education concluded.
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