Statement by Christos Christofides, Head of the Education Affairs Bureau of AKEL and MP on the response of the Ministry of Education and ruling DISY on the quarterly examinations issue

 

22 December 2021, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

It is not only AKEL that has called and is calling for a suspension of the quarterly exams system for this very particular year. It is the teachers, school students and parents (i.e. all the involved educational forces) and all political parties except for the ruling DISY party. In other words, the whole of society is calling for the suspension of exams every four months because of the pandemic and because of the coincidence of the application for the first time this year for the seniors of the quarterly exams and the national entrance exams. Despite all these reactions, the government ruling forces are in an authoritarian manner insisting on imposing their view.

The whole issue could be settled with a small amendment to the legislation, which all parties were ready to vote for and the government ruling forces know this well. Why they didn’t – while school students, parents, teachers and all parties except DISY are protesting and shouting, but the Minister and DISY reply only to AKEL – just needs basic intelligence to understand.