The government has failed on Education
Statement by the Head of Education Affairs Bureau of the C.C. of AKEL Christos Christophides
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 11th November 2020, Nicosia
The discussion surrounding the Budget of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports is in essence an overall discussion about the state of our educational system and the quality of education provided in our country.
We regretfully must point out that the government has failed in the field of Education. Cypriot citizens have been witnesses to truly unbelievable developments in recent times:
– School students excluded from the educational procedure for months because they did not have any access to technology with the Ministry bearing the responsibility.
– Schools without the necessary technological infrastructure to cope with modern needs and the conditions that have been imposed by the coronavirus pandemic.
– Children with disabilities excluded from schools.
– Postponement of the start of the new school year because the Ministry of Education was unprepared, after so many months had passed after the pandemic broke out.
– A committee of special advisers on the issues of distance education has been appointed only a few days ago.
To this unacceptable situation in the public school system, we must also add the Ministry of Education’s inability to deal with the serious problems that have existed for some time. These are behaviours that affect public schools and children.
– The Minister of Education is pursuing an extremist policy by paying his respects to the ultra-right ELAM party, adopting policies reminiscent of obscurantism, expressing a highly conservative approach to schools.
– The Education Minister continues to victimize thousands of young teachers whom it employs through the unacceptable – and by a court ruling now – illegal purchase of services, depriving them of any labour rights whatsoever and slashing their incomes.
– There has been no substantive change and improvement as far as our education system’s most vulnerable section is concerned, namely specialised unified education.
– The necessary technological upgrade of schools has not been done so that they will be able to meet modern needs.
– The commitments they have made for evening high schools and evening technical schools have not been implemented.
– The government ruling forces are leading the public school system to take on full examination-oriented character with the introduction of examinations every four months.
– In the field of culture they have completely failed not only with the victimization of cultural artists and workers as they themselves have for some time been denouncing, but also with the messages they themselves are conveying about the importance and freedom of creation.
– The Ministry of Education has long been in conflict with teachers and school students.
Having this overall picture of our education in mind, what the country really needs today is the modernization and democratization of the content of our Education system – a policy that cares about the public school system, its problems and educational component forces.
