The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Nikos Anastasiadis, attended a groundbreaking ceremony at the Technical School of Paralimni last night. During the ceremony, the President of the Republic inaugurated the beginning of the works for the Reusable Room of the Technical School of Paralimni, as well as for the foundation of the general building upgrade of the School.
In his greeting, Mr. Anastasiadis stated that "the creation of the multipurpose room of the Technical Gall of Paralimni is part of the modernization of Secondary Technical and Vocational Education, and its cost amounts to two million 380 thousand euros."
He also said that "the implementation of the project, which is in full swing, has become an urgent need for the general improvement of the School, after the rapid growth of the student population observed in recent years in Paralimni."
"This is a room that will be a place of culture, sports as well as general creative activity not only for the student and educational community, since from the moment of its completion, it will be possible to use it by other bodies of the wider area. ”
He added that “the upgrade of the School adds added value, as it effectively contributes to the preparation of our young people, so that they meet the requirements of the labor market and especially in the tourism industry, given that they live in a province where tourism it thrives and grows constantly. ”
Afterwards, the President of the Republic attended a dance party of the Democratic Alarm in Dasaki of Achna, while the first stop of his visit was the Cultural Center of Famagusta and the roadblock of Deryneia, where he inspected the construction works of an opening on Famagusta Avenue.
Greeting of the President of the Republic at the laying of the foundation stone of a multipurpose hall of the Technical School of Paralimni
"It is with great joy and emotion that I come every time to establish the construction of a project in the field of education, which clearly testifies that the upgrading of buildings in the environment of our schools is a top priority of government policy.
Today's event for the laying of the foundation stone of the Reusable Room of the Technical School of Paralimni, as well as for the foundation of the general building upgrade of the School, is another strong proof of the interest shown by the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Government to make our schools modern, pedagogically upgraded and safe school spaces.
The modern perceptions concerning the educational environment of education, exclude the importance of the school space for the realization of the educational process.
The school space is recognized as one of the foundations of the educational reality as the way it is shaped, both indoors and outdoors, affects the practices applied and consequently, the quality of education.
The creation of the multipurpose room of the Technical Gall of Paralimni is part of the modernization of Secondary Technical and Vocational Education, and its cost amounts to two million 380 thousand euros.
Its implementation, which is in full swing, has become an urgent need for the general improvement of the School, after the rapid increase of the student population observed in recent years in Paralimni.
This is a room that will be a place of culture, sports as well as general creative activity not only for the student and educational community, since from the moment of its completion, it will be possible to use it by other organizations in the wider area.
The upgrading of the School adds added value, as it effectively contributes to the preparation of our young people, so that they meet the requirements of the labor market and especially in the tourism industry, given that they live in a province where tourism is flourishing and growing.
The Ministry of Education and Culture, emphasizing the fields of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports, has shown its firm commitment to the reform and modernization of public education.
The main concern of our government from the beginning of our duties has been to remove distortions of the past in order to create a more quality, effective education.
To this end, no attempt was made to address the problems piecemeal, but a concerted effort to radically reform the institutions of education.
More specifically:
• We proceeded to the modernization of the school units, decentralizing the responsibilities at the provincial level, improving the material and technical infrastructure and introducing a computerization system.
• The law was introduced that introduces a new, inviolable and meritocratic system of appointments in education and in this way the anachronistic list of appointees is gradually abolished and new criteria for the selection of teachers are created based on knowledge, relevant experiences and qualifications.
• The new Regulations that completely modernize the operation of Secondary Schools were adopted by the House of Representatives.
• New legislation was passed, which ensures the timely staffing of schools, addressing a long-standing problem of our education system.
• For the first time, a pilot, integrated policy for Vocational Learning and teacher training was developed and started to be implemented.
• The content of the courses taught in our schools has been modernized with the development and implementation of new curricula.
• The problematic institution of the Unified Lyceum was replaced with the Modern Lyceum of Course Selection.
• The bill that modernizes the institution of the Pancyprian Examinations was passed by the Parliament.
• The operation of Sports and Music Gymnasiums and Lyceums is now applied in all the cities of free Cyprus, thus giving way to our gifted and musical sports talents.
• We operated with great success the summer schools, which were especially embraced by the vulnerable groups of the population.
• Upgrading the logistics infrastructure was one of our priorities, despite the financial difficulties. Sixteen school units, 57 improvements - extensions - renovations and 614 smaller scale projects have been completed in the last four years.
• The institution of the All-Day School was expanded, with the operation of 24 new all-day schools.
• The operation of the successful institution of the Open School was expanded, with the operation of two more new Open Schools.
• With the implementation of a specific action plan, the operation of the Evening Schools is also upgraded.
Friends,
In particular, for Secondary Technical and Vocational Education, which is recognized at a pan-European level as a strong component of the education system, a comprehensive Strategic Plan has been approved by the Council of Ministers, which is already in place and the results of its actions are already visible.
Specifically, the disciplines and specialties offered by the Technical Schools were reviewed according to the needs and prospects of the Cypriot economy, the percentage of internships in the workplace increased and measures were adopted to enlighten the public and address the negative prejudice about the Secondary Technical and Professional training.
We also consider of particular importance the establishment, after several years of efforts, of the National Qualifications Framework, which is a long-standing, public and absolutely necessary process, which is evolving in cooperation with all the competent services of the state.
It is perhaps the most important condition that will ensure the connection of Technical and Vocational Education with production and the world of work.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The development of new infrastructure and the expansion of existing ones to accommodate new programs and additional students is also considered extremely important.
On this occasion, we should mention that within the next year, the works for the construction of a Technical School in Aradippou will begin, in replacement of the Technical School of Agios Lazaros.
At the same time, work is expected to begin on the creation of specially designed building facilities in other provinces.
It would be an omission not to mention the upgrading of the Post-Secondary Vocational Education and Training Institutes, which enable young people, through high quality programs, to improve their skills and qualifications and to acquire the necessary scientific, technical and professional knowledge. , so that they can enter the labor market directly.
The great interest of the public and the direct employment of more than 80% of the graduates of the Post-Secondary Institutes, led the Government to proceed with the establishment and establishment of them as a Public School of Higher Vocational Education and Training.
The relevant process was successfully implemented, since recently the provided programs were evaluated and certified by the Quality Assurance and Certification Body of Higher Education.
The above indicative measures only reflect the political will and the choice of the Government for issues concerning the Education of the place.
I assure you that the government and he personally, recognizing education as the cornerstone of any society, will continue in every way the quality upgrade of the education provided and its officials, addressing any possible malfunctions and problems that arise in the transitional period we are going through.
Friends,
I consider it my highest obligation to thank from the bottom of my heart and on behalf of the State the relatives of the victims of the air tragedy of Helios, who with the contribution of 80 thousand euros for the completion of the project of the multipurpose room, strengthen the balanced education, while enhancing culture and supporting cultural creation and sport. Once again, thank you very much.
In addition, I would like to congratulate all the stakeholders, the Mayor of Paralimni and the Members of the Municipal Council, the President and the members of the School Tax Office, the Technical Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture, but also all those who worked on the design and implementation of this important project.
I also feel the need to thank and emphasize our support to the Management and the Teachers of the Technical School but also in general to the teachers of all educational levels. The teachers, who are in charge of the great work of shaping literate citizens who are distinguished for their skills, responsibility, democratic ethos, historical identity but also their respect for diversity.
Citizens who will be able to face the challenges of the future and contribute creatively to the economic, social and cultural development of our country.
I would like to assure you that the Government, as far as the financial conditions allow, will continue to support and upgrade our education system.
In conclusion, I would like to convey my belief that the new room and the projects we are establishing today will motivate more students and more citizens of the area for their healthy involvement in sports and for the development of more social and cultural activities.
Thank you and I wish you all the best in relation to what is intended for the construction of the multipurpose hall and in the wider area. "
Reportage: SotiraNews
Photos: KYPE