On talk of education and elections…

Article by Kostas Diplaros, member of the Central Committee of AKEL

Sunday 27 November 2022, “Haravgi” newspaper

It is now clear to any of our fellow citizens that in the upcoming presidential elections they will have on the one hand to choose between three main candidates, but between two main choices. There are two basic choices before us, given that Averof Neophytou and the “otherwise communicative” Nicos Christodoulides are both candidates of the same “political father”, namely Nicos
Anastasiades. They both praise his policies and declare that they will continue pursuing them. So in essence there are no differences between Averof and Christodoulides.

On the opposing pole is the truly independent candidacy of Andreas Mavroyiannis, who expresses the will of the Cypriot people for change and ridding ourselves from the harsh, conservative and neoliberal policies of Nicos Anastasiades and his followers. With clear and costed solutions and proposals, without any pompous speeches and grandiose rhetoric.

Of course, now, in view of the elections and their efforts to gain the presidency at all costs, Averof and Christodoulides have proposals and solutions which they are presenting lavishly. But the key question remains: “During their ten years of governance, why have they not implemented what they are now promising during the election?”

With their votes in the House of Representatives and the Council of Ministers respectively, both of them have voted for and implemented, among other things, numerous measures that have downgraded public education and Education. In fact, last year, within the context of the mobilisations that were organised by teachers employed in all-day schools and further education programmes under the unacceptable purchase of services regime, Averof Neophytou “pledged” that he would take initiatives as leader of the ruling party to resolve the serious issue and end the specific employment regime that the Anastasiades government stubbornly refuses to lift.

It is worth recalling that the affected teachers have taken their case to court in a coordinated manner, securing a decision to end the purchase of services scheme, a decision which the government obstinately refuses to implement for obvious reasons.

The insistence of the government and its Ministers, including Mr. Christodoulides, on implementing examinations every four months is heavily felt today by school pupils who are required to take examinations in four subjects in one day! This is a measure that intensifies private tuition, extends the exam-centred character of education in Cyprus, causes fatigue to teachers and pupils and lacks any serious pedagogical and scientific substantiation, since useful academic learning time is lost simply for the preparation and administration of quarterly exams.

Despite the strong protests of school pupils and teachers, but also other involved parties, the government has responded in an authoritarian manner by taking other anti-pedagogical measures that lead to the public education system being undermined.

Among the work and results of the Anastasiades government, the following still stand out: the termination of the Educational Reform initiated by the government of Demetris Christofias, the covert privatisation of public pre-primary education, the complete indifference shown regarding issues affecting specialised education, the reversal of the law guaranteeing the rights of contracted teachers, the removal of remedial teaching from the timetable and many others.

For all these reasons, on 5 February we will answer the principal question with our own vote: Do we accept the degeneration of public education by DISY and its candidates or do we turn the page to achieve change?