They did not give places to Cypriots in all the departments of music studies in Greece

The graduates of the Music High Schools of Cyprus and their families are outraged and disappointed, because this year no places were given for the Cypriot graduates, in all the departments of music studies of the Universities of Greece. Specifically, the graduates who participated in the recent Pancyprian Examinations, will have access only to the Departments of Music Studies of Kapodistrian Athens and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and are excluded from the Department of Music Science and Art of the University of Macedonia, the Department of Music Studies of the University of Macedonia. Of Studies of the University of Ioannina and the Department of Ethnomusicology of the Ionian University. And this, while they had been given the opportunity to choose these schools, when in March they filled in (compulsorily) the initial Computerized forms, which had been handed over to them by the Ministry of Education of Cyprus.

As of February 14, 2019, the decision of the Greek Ministry of Education (Φ.253 / 23170 / Α5) had become known, which radically changed (and, admittedly, much fairer) the way of access of the Greek candidates for the four departments of music studies mentioned above. However, in Cyprus the way of examination has not changed, with the excuse that our legislation allows changes only up to 12 months before the conduct of the Pancyprian Examinations. Parents, students and teachers were assured that there was a relevant consultation with the Greek Ministry of Education, culminating in the exclusion of Cypriot candidates for this year and their ability to claim positions in all departments of music studies, as in the past.

However, the change of government in Greece, obviously led to the deletion of the relevant "agreement", resulting in the announcement of the Examination Service of the Cypriot Ministry of Education (July 18, 2019) under the title: "Submission of applications for admission to Higher and Higher Education Institutions ( University of Greece 2019 ”, to appear as the only options the two departments of music studies of Kapodistriakos Athens and Aristotle Thessaloniki. In fact, the relevant "Computerized Bulletin-Application" must be submitted by the applicants for a position in the HEIs of Greece, by Friday, July 26, 2019.

See the announcement of the Ministry of Education HERE

There were changes in Greece - Assurances were given that a relevant consultation was held with the Greek Ministry of Education

According to the newspaper "KATHIMERINI", the head of the Examination Service, Dimitris Chandriotis, contacted the Minister of Education, Costas Hambiaouris, pointing out the injustice that the Cypriot candidates are subject to, and the Minister informed the Minister that Greece, seeking to find a way out.

Questions remain

The fact that people were allowed to reach the scallop, however, raises a number of questions:

1. Why didn't the Cypriot Ministry try to resolve the issue before the publication by the Examination Service of the announcement: "Submission of applications for admission to the Higher and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) of Greece 2019"?
2. Who will respond to the anxiety of the candidates, parents and families that concern them with the subject, about whether they will have to fill in the "Computerized application-Application", which must be submitted by the applicants for a place in the HEIs of Greece, by Friday 26 July 2019, or should they wait until there is a relevant announcement from the Ministry?
3. Why so much analgesia from the Cypriot Ministry of Education in a much fairer and more logical examination process, for the graduates of the Music Lyceums of Cyprus, as is now that of the Greek Ministry of Education, which focuses on the real skills of the candidates for the Departments of Music Studies of HEIs in Greece? (Is invoking the legal framework a sufficient justification?)
4. When will a public university school of Music Studies finally be established in Cyprus? Doesn't the huge amount of talent that this place produces bother anyone around this issue? Or should local private universities be made easier by more customers and parents trying to help their children learn the art they love and progress on their knees? Questions, other urgent and other timeless, which, with anxiety, are addressed to the Government, Parliament, political parties, and society.