The gagging of the pupils at the Dali Lyceum is a black page for education

 

20 April 2024, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

The incident of the gagging of pupils that took place at the Dali Lyceum last Wednesday before the start of an event to mark 50 years of the Turkish occupation, which was attended by the Minister of Education, is a black page for our education system.

The pupils had put up banners stating the official position of the school pupil movement on the Cyprus problem, for which they had even received the prior consent of the school’s board. However, this didn’t please a section of teachers who felt that they could impose their viewpoint by force, eventually taking down the banners.

This incident is not a minor one. Not only because it goes against the free expression of pupils, reminding us of bygone sinister times of the past, but even more so because it goes against the messages that our education system should be conveying in relation to our struggle for liberation and reunification.

We denounce this incident unequivocally and call on the Minister of Education to take a stand on the matter.

Such acts of supressing/silencing have no place in schools and we expect the Minister to take immediate action to restore order.

20.04.2024