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- Ελληνικά
The Minister of Education, Sports and Youth, Ms Athina Michaelidou, participated today in the Parliamentary Committee on Education and Culture, which continued the discussion on the issue of free compulsory pre-primary education from the age of 4.
After the session, the Minister said in a statement to journalists. After today's discussion, we feel that there is nothing more to discuss about this particular programme, the proposal of the Ministry of Education. I recall that the Proposal was submitted to the House for a vote two years ago. It was not approved for various reasons. We have worked on the same proposal thoroughly as a Government in cooperation with the European Commission. That is, we are continuing what the previous Government had started, so that from next September, instead of our children entering school from the age of 4 years and 8 months, we will be able to admit them gradually from 4 years and 6 months, from 2024 and slowly until 2031 we will be able to admit children from the age of 4 years free of charge in public and community schools or in private schools, if that is what the parents choose. I clarify that today's debate has clarified issues, as well as the Ministry's positions in relation to the Proposal, therefore today's protest was unjustified for us.
It was made clear that we support private education, we seek this coexistence of private and public education, not only at the pre-school level, but also at the level of primary, secondary and, of course, higher education. And this has been happening for many years in our country. Especially in the last year we have intensified our efforts for cooperation with the private sector both in joint programs, training actions for kindergarten teachers of the private sector with kindergarten teachers of the public sector and teachers of all levels.
On the substance of the program, we should say that the requests we received were mainly related to the program already implemented by the Ministry of Social Welfare and will continue to be implemented, to support, without any socio-economic criteria parents to take their children to the private sector. And we were asked whether this could start earlier. We are positive to study this in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Welfare and we explained at the same time that we are opening a dialogue with private education in general, to see how we can facilitate and upgrade the quality of all our other cooperation regarding private kindergartens, which does not fall within the scope of this program. It concerns planning permissions, so other ministries. It's about the supervision that the Ministry of Education does in these schools and the inspection, it's about their curricula in their trainings. So of course we are open to dialogue. So, after today's meeting, we believe that we are ready to move forward to plenary and we hope that the benefits of children starting school at the age of four will be shared by our children, as they are throughout the rest of Europe. These benefits are mainly pedagogical. It seems from all the research that if a child attends pre-primary education for two years they have a much better learning experience, because at these ages we can make predictions. At these ages we can make early diagnosis for literacy issues, violence and delinquency and much more. I recall that we have already put programmes in the pre-primary school from this year for these issues, and in the second stage this programme also helps families socially, so that from the age of 4 they have the option of enrolling their children in school and indeed the state can offer, has places for all children. Let me stress again that the term compulsory schooling is often misunderstood. Compulsory does not mean in public education. Compulsory attendance means in whichever type of school a parent wants, that is, either public school, community school, or private school. And I repeat that attendance at the private school is subsidized until the end of the program," the Education Minister concluded.
Afterwards, Ms. Michaelidou answered questions from reporters.
Asked if a meeting has been arranged with the Association of Private Kindergartens, Ms. Michaelidou noted: They had raised these questions and asked for the clarifications I have just mentioned. We believe that any misunderstandings that existed have been removed and we are at their disposal if they insist on certain issues, but what was clear from the discussion today is that their requests relate mainly to the programme already being implemented by the Ministry of Social Welfare. For this particular programme that we are implementing - I would remind you that we have not started it - they raised issues of consultation, they raised issues of more timely information. We found this particular programme ready and, because of the European Commission's timetable, we have to finish it, because it is an obligation of Cyprus in the Recovery and Resilience Plan. Therefore, we need to complete all our actions in Parliament as soon as possible so that we as the Ministry of Education can implement it. And we want them with us. Private education is also a key partner so that we can implement the programme properly.
Asked whether parents will choose where their child will attend and whether attendance at private kindergarten will be subsidised regardless of socio-economic criteria, the Minister replied, "If it is at the limit of compulsory education, yes."
Asked about the cost of the programme, the Minister noted: "The programme includes a large budget of around €130 million in total for the 9 years so we have also asked for an extension. Instead of having it implemented in 2-3 years, to have a longer time frame, so that the public finances can afford it, but also so that we as the Ministry of Education can control the situation with our spaces, capacities, etc. A large part of the programme is indeed about what we asked for, the infrastructure, so a part beyond €30 million will be dedicated both within the Recovery Fund and outside, with state resources, that is, to expand, to improve, to build new schools. We would have done this anyway, because of the numbers we have, but now it comes into a comprehensive plan and helps us as a country to upgrade our pre-primary education, which has been for many years the "poor relation" of the education system, and is the basis of everything.
Here I want to stress that we will have better learning outcomes in high school and in surveys such as PISA etc. if we have strong pre-primary education and not only of course. Also, part of the cost of the programme will of course be spent on salaries, because new departments are being created, on training, on materials in all these things that will be built, and the cost of the programme will be supplemented by national resources, as I mentioned before."
In response to a question regarding yesterday's provocative actions by the occupation regime in Rizokarpaso schools and what actions the Ministry of Education is taking, the Minister of Education said: "Let us say that yesterday's actions and activities of the occupation regime simply confirm what we were saying and what we discussed at the level of the European Parliament. I was personally invited to the European Parliament with the support of our MEPs to present this aspect of the Cyprus problem, this aspect of the drama we have been living for 50 years. Yesterday it was confirmed that things are very serious and we should all realise that since last May we have been banned from providing any support to the Rizokarpaso schools, no inspector visits are allowed, no training of teachers in their school, no repairs to their buildings or any other kind of support. Therefore, the matter is also being handled competently by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is another complaint about the regime."
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