A new disagreement has arisen in the relationship between parents and students with the Ministry. Education, with the theme this time the scheduling of dismissal exams which, according to the information of the ministry, will begin on June 3.
The dismissal exams concern a large number of high school and technical school graduates, who need a diploma to continue their studies at private universities in Cyprus or universities abroad, as well as to find work.
According to the initial planning, these exams would take place after the completion of the pan-Cypriot exams, and specifically from June 29 to July 2. It should be reminded that the teachers had expressed their concern about the initial dates, talking about suffocating schedules, given that the classification of new recruits begins in early July. In addition, they expressed concern about the exams, ie the students who will not succeed in the Cypriot ones and will need the diploma for their admission to the private universities.
The reaction of the Middle Parents as well as the PSEM to the specific development was immediate, at the request of the Ministry. Education to review the dates, based on its previous commitments, as they emphasize.
The schedule of the dismissal exams, emphasize the Middle Parents, was an unpleasant surprise for all the involved bodies, but especially for the affected senior students. In fact, they characterize this decision as uneducative and wrong.
"As all previous statements by the Ministry. "Education assured that the dismissal exams would take place after the Pancyprian ones, the ministry decided to start on June 3, just a few days after the end of high school, depriving them of sufficient time for study," they point out. The dates of these exams are June 3-5 and June 29, and the exams start on June 30.
The degree of graduation for a portion of high school students, the parents explain, plays a decisive role for their admission to foreign universities and the state must support them. The start of the dismissal exams, they report, in such a short period of time, adds unnecessary stress to the seniors, as they are one breath away from the end of the school year.
At the same time, they ask the Ministry. Education to review the program it has notified and to transfer the exams after the expiration of the Cypriot ones. "In this extremely difficult year, where regulations, planning and initial schedules have been amended, let us give seniors the opportunity to fight for a credible diploma and let June 30 be over, where schools are usually closed." emphasize in their announcement.
In the same vein is the announcement issued jointly by PSEM and the Cypriot Paidovouli, in which they express their strong dissatisfaction with the schedule of the dismissal examinations. According to reports, the program as announced violates repeated commitments of the Ministry of Education, but also the content of an official announcement of the ministry on May 21, where after a teleconference the minister pointed out that the dismissal exams will be held immediately after the end of the Cypriots.
Devices and connections
In another development, a new number of devices was delivered yesterday by the Olympia Group (Public) to the Ministry. Education, with the aim of making them available directly to schools in order to be used by students of primary education (5th and 6th grade) for distance learning. These are 1.300 digital tablet devices, worth 170.000 euros.
Mr. Prodromou, receiving the devices, noted that distance education is proceeding normally and is now an achievement for the public school and that the establishment of a relevant legal framework that will govern it is progressing.
He also informed that some 7.400 children were equipped with a digital device (along with yesterday's devices), and this, as he clarified, corresponds to a percentage of about 12% of the total number of students. In addition, he said, 1.800 internet connections were provided to households.
Regarding the special training of the teaching staff in primary and secondary education, Mr. Prodromou noted that so far more than 3.000 teachers have been trained.
Source: politis