[PIO] The Minister of Education, Sports and Youth took stock of the work of the Ministry for the first year of government and presented a report on

Athena Michailidou: "From next September, the school is gradually changing"

The reforms, policies and actions planned and adopted for the transition to the modern inclusive school were mentioned by the Minister of Education, Sports and Youth, Dr Athina Michaelidou, during a press conference held to review the work of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth (MESY) for the first year of its governance and to present its action plan for 2024-2025.

The vision, goals and pillars

Dr. Michaelidou pointed out that the vision of the Ministry of Education and Youth is to have an education system through which citizens with skills, responsibility, democratic ethos, historical identity and respect for diversity will be formed, citizens who will be able to face the challenges of the future and contribute creatively to the development of society.

In this direction, the Ministry of Education and Culture has set as a priority, on the basis of the Governance Programme, the transition to a modern, human-centred and inclusive school, which will cultivate competences, skills and knowledge, with the ultimate aim of substantially improving learning outcomes.

The Ministry of Education's policies for the implementation of its vision and objectives, the Minister of Education noted, are broken down into six main pillars: (a) educational policies for the student, (b) human resources, (c) administrative structures/infrastructure, (d) higher and lifelong education, (e) sports and (f) youth.

Objectives already achieved

Regarding the major objectives already achieved in the first year of governance, Dr. Michaelidou said:

1. The implementation of a new student assessment system which abolished the mid-term examination in all subjects in secondary education and which achieved, among other things, a reduction in the number of tests, an increase in teaching time, a reduction in student anxiety, a further emphasis on creativity and the introduction of multiple forms of assessment.
2. Promoting the modernisation and updating of the curricula by setting up 43 Working Groups for this purpose and focusing on the core curriculum, with content that promotes skills, competences, critical thinking and creativity.
3. The expansion of the institution of all-day schools with eight new schools in Primary Education and three new Interdisciplinary-Disciplinary Learning schools in Secondary General Education.
4. The upgrading of Secondary Technical and Vocational Education and Training and Post-secondary Vocational Education and Training Institutes with the implementation, for the first time, of a total of 32 programmes of which seven are new programmes and their linkage with the labour market.
5. The formal announcement of the launch of a dialogue aimed at upgrading higher education through further internationalisation, modernisation and interconnection with the labour market, as well as by increasing the number of scholarships provided. [*]The launch of the process for the transition from special to integrated education by codifying the positions of all stakeholders, as well as measures already being implemented, such as the piloting of the summer school in special schools, the updating of educational material for immediate use by teachers, increasing the number of school assistants/assistants and improving the ways in which they are used. [*]The pedagogical upgrading of the Ministry of Education's support programmes by abolishing the purchase of services scheme and completing the dialogue on their pedagogical restructuring. [*]Accelerating the digital transformation of the education system by using a 10 million euro fund to purchase modern equipment (10,000 computers and 1,000 projectors) and to conduct training on digital skills, as well as by completing the writing of a policy document on digital education. [*]Taking measures for prevention, early diagnosis and intervention in violence/violence and literacy by establishing a series of pedagogical measures for all levels of education, with particular emphasis on pre-school age. The introduction of free compulsory education from the age of 4 years is a priority and is expected to be introduced within the next period. [*]Strengthening life education programmes with an emphasis on civic education and values such as empathy, mutual respect and respect for diversity, with training for pupils and teachers, with the implementation of sex education at all levels, with actions to promote the safe use of the Internet and with the expansion of counselling and vocational education. [*]Empowering teachers and strengthening pedagogical autonomy by offering training programmes to more than 12,000 participants at all levels, by implementing 87 structured programmes, 80 networks, 202 school-based seminars and 80 centralised trainings and by establishing a Unified Improvement Plan for the Self-Evaluation of School Units, as part of the evaluation of educational work. [*]The improvement of infrastructure with extensions/upgrades/improvements worth approximately €44 million [*]The further strengthening of international partnerships with the signing of a total of eight international memoranda of understanding and the implementation of a pilot programme for German language learning in secondary schools. [*]The adoption of an Action Plan and priorities for the further development of Cypriot sport with emphasis on school sport and the upgrading of sports infrastructure. [*]The development of actions on issues that concern young people in our country with the designation of 2024 as the National Year of Youth, the creation of the first digital democracy platform for direct communication between young people and the State and the implementation of the Action Plan "Modern Professional Development for the Green and Digital Transition".

The 2024-2025 targets

Alongside what has been achieved in the first year of government, the Minister presented the targets set for 2024-25. In the coming months, among other things, they aim to.

1. Fully implement the new student assessment system with continuous monitoring and upgrading to improve learning outcomes.
2. The implementation of updated syllabuses in all subjects and all grades in order to achieve the modernization of the content of all subjects.
3. The further increase and upgrading of all-day schools.
4. To further increase and improve the quality of programmes in technical schools, by strengthening the links between the education provided and the labour market and increasing the number of student places.
5. The completion of the dialogue and the legislative regulation for further upgrading, quality improvement and internationalisation of Higher Education.
6. The completion of the changes for the transition from special to integrated education.
7. Taking final decisions for further pedagogical upgrading of all support programmes of the Ministry of Education and Science.
8. Integrating digital skills in the Curricula, completing the electronic "Support Services System" and training teachers for digital inclusion, in the context of accelerating digital transformation.
9. The promotion of legislation to provide free compulsory pre-primary education from the age of four and the introduction of early intervention diagnostic procedures in kindergarten.
10. The design of a new National Strategy on Violence and Delinquency.
11. The empowerment of teachers in the prevention and treatment of violence and delinquency and the introduction of an alternative education programme for children with extreme delinquent behaviour.
12. The promotion of actions to mark the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion, in the context of the broader objective of the liberation and reunification of our country.
13. The initiation of a dialogue on the new Evaluation System for Teachers and the Educational Project and the continuous professional development of teachers.
14. The further improvement of the infrastructure with a budget of €51 million for 2024.
15. The installation of air conditioners, through a framework agreement, in the first 50 schools.
16. The further promotion of international cooperation through the signing of memoranda of understanding, new programmes, mobility and exchanges.
17. The implementation and continuous monitoring of the Action Plan for the development of Cypriot sport.
18. The implementation of the Youth Action Plan and the upgrading of the dialogue with the UNECE and the Youth Council.

From next September the school is gradually changing

In conclusion, Dr Athena Michaelidou stressed that from next September the school is gradually changing, since the goal for a step towards an inclusive and more effective school is being implemented. Although much still needs to be done to address the chronic issues of our education system, the school is already becoming more student-centered, more inclusive, safer and more focused on the needs of students and teachers, with an emphasis on prevention and early intervention. The modern school we are striving for, the Minister noted, will be oriented towards skills/competences and core knowledge, with actions and policies based on research and pedagogical science. In a modern, digital environment, with greater pedagogical autonomy and improved infrastructure, we will realize our vision of shaping active and critical thinking citizens who can face modern challenges and lead our country to liberation, reunification ,progress and development, she concluded.

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For the Minister's presentation click here.

For the videos shown during the press conference click here.
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