The solution of education issues has been put off indefinitely

 

Statement by AKEL MP Christos Christofides after the meeting of the Parliamentary Education Affairs Committee

5 July 2021, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

From today’s meeting with the Minister of Education, some things have become clear beyond any doubt whatsoever.

The first thing is that the government has no intention and no political will whatsoever to resolve the issue that has arisen in recent years with the purchase of services method in education. For that reason, for some time to come, 4,700 people and their families will be affected badly in an illegal and inhumane way under an employment system that is totally unacceptable.

The second thing is that a number of issues that are crucial to the country’s education, such as the upgrading of specialised education and the expansion of technical-vocational education are in effect being postponed indefinitely. They are related to the Recovery Fund, which, I have the impression, will suffer many, many delays in the period ahead, so the victimization of children with disabilities and of hundreds of children who want to attend technical education although there are no places, will continue.

AKEL also wants to express its concern about the possibility of a new wave of the pandemic breaking out and whether the Education Ministry, is this time really ready to deal effectively with the situation. I say this because a number of measures that should already have been implemented have not been taken. And I am referring to the presence of single desks in schools, the issue of ventilation in classrooms, and most importantly the elaboration of a strategic plan to fill the gaps that have been created for our students because of the pandemic.

Finally, I would like once again to underline AKEL’s steadfast position on the legislative safeguarding of the profession of an artist, an issue which has been pending for a long time, an issue on which clear commitments were made by the government. AKEL will continue to press for the earliest possible registration of the artist’s profession.