Cyprus

Partners situated in Cyprus

None.

Cyprus in a nutshell

Cyprus, officially the Republic of Cyprus, is a Eurasian island country situated in the eastern Mediterranean, south of Turkey, west of Syria, Lebanon, and Israel, east of Greece, and north of Egypt.

Cyprus is the Mediterranean's third largest island. A former British colony, it became an independent republic in 1960 and a member of the Commonwealth in 1961. The Republic of Cyprus is one of the advanced economies in the region, and has been a member of the European Union since 1 May 2004.

In 1974, following 11 years of intercommunal violence (1963–1974) between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, and an attempted coup d'état by Greek Cypriot nationalists who aimed at annexing the island to Greece and were backed by the Greek military junta then in power in Athens, Turkey invaded and occupied the northern portion of the island. This led to the displacement of thousands of Cypriots and the establishment of a separate Turkish Cypriot political entity in the north. This event and its resulting political situation are matters of ongoing dispute.

The Republic of Cyprus, the internationally recognised state, has sovereignty by law over the entire island of Cyprus and its surrounding waters except small portions that are allocated by treaty to the United Kingdom as sovereign military bases. The island is de facto partitioned into four main parts:

• the area under the effective control of the Republic of Cyprus, comprising about 59% of the island's area in the south;
• the Turkish-occupied area in the north, calling itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, covering about 37% of the island's area and recognised only by Turkey;
• the United Nations-controlled Green Line, separating the two, covering about 3% of the island's area; and
• two British Sovereign Base Areas (Akrotiri and Dhekelia), covering about 3% of the island's area.

It has traditionally been accepted that Greek Cypriots form up to 80%, Turkish Cypriots 18% (not including Turkish settlers), and Christian minorities (including Maronites, Latin Catholic and Armenians) 2% of the Cypriot population. According to the first population census after the declaration of independence, carried out in December 1960 and covering the entire island, Cyprus had a total population of 573,566; of whom 442,138 (77.1%) were Greek Cypriots, 104,320 (18.2%) Turkish Cypriots, and 27,108 (4.7%) others. Due to the inter-communal ethnic tensions between 1963 and 1974, an island-wide census was regarded as impossible. Nevertheless, the Greek Cypriots conducted one in 1973, without the Turkish Cypriot populace. According to this census, the Greek Cypriot population was 482,000. One year later, in 1974, the Cypriot government's Department of Statistics and Research estimated the total population of Cyprus at 641,000; of whom 506,000 (78.9%) were Greek Cypriots, and 118,000 (18.4%) Turkish Cypriots. After the partition of the island in 1974, Greek Cypriots conducted four more censuses: in 1976, 1982, 1992 and 2001; these excluded the Turkish Cypriot population which was resident in the northern part of the island. According to the Republic of Cyprus's latest estimate, in 2005, the number of Cypriot citizens currently living in the Republic of Cyprus is around 656,200. In addition to this the Republic of Cyprus is home to 110,200 foreign permanent residents and an estimated 10,000–30,000 undocumented illegal immigrants currently living in the south of the island. According to the 2006 census carried out by Northern Cyprus, there were 256,644 (de jure) people living in Northern Cyprus. 178,031 were citizens of Northern Cyprus, of which 147,405 were born in Cyprus (112,534 from the north; 32,538 from the south; 371 did not indicate what part of Cyprus they were from); 27,333 born in Turkey; 2,482 born in the UK and 913 born in Bulgaria. Of the 147,405 citizens born in Cyprus, 120,031 say both parents were born in Cyprus; 16,824 say both parents born in Turkey; 10,361 have one parent born in Turkey and one parent born in Cyprus. In 2010, the International Crisis Group estimated that the total population of Cyprus was 1.1 million, of which there was an estimated 300,000 residents in the north, perhaps half of which were either born in Turkey or are children of such settlers. However, some academic sources claim that the population in the north has reached 500,000, 50% of which are thought to be Turkish settlors or Cypriot-born children of such settlers. The village of Pyla in the Larnaca District is the only settlement in the Republic of Cyprus with a mixed Greek and Turkish Cypriot population. Outside Cyprus there is a significant and thriving Greek Cypriot diaspora and Turkish Cypriot diaspora in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, the United States, Greece and Turkey.

Source: Wikipedia's page about Cyprus

Cyprus education policy

Most pupils in primary and secondary education (87.5 %, 2008/09) attend public-sector schools, which are set up and funded by the government. Private-sector schools are mainly self-funded. Those which are recognized as ‘non profit-making associations’ can be co-funded by the government and other organizations or individuals. The Ministry of Education and Culture is responsible for the administration, organization and all decisions concerning the use of financial resources by schools. Α number of post-secondary institutions offering specialized professional training remain under the authority of various ministries: Labour and Social Insurance, Agriculture, Natural Resources and the Environment, Justice and Public Order, Commerce, Industry and Tourism, and Health. The inspectorate of the Ministry of Education and Culture has the overall responsibility for supervising the proper functioning of the schools.

The public education system in Cyprus remains highly centralised. Primary education has been compulsory since 1962 and has for the most part always been free. Attendance at the gymnasio (γυμνάσιο) (gymnasium) level (up to the third grade of secondary school) was made compulsory from 1985/86. Free education was introduced for the first grade of secondary education in 1972/1973 and by 1985/1986 had expanded to include all secondary education grades. All of the laws regarding payment for schooling and compulsory attendance were combined in 1993 under Law 24(I)/1993. This law was made up of four main components:

• Attendance in primary school and the gymnasium (γυμνάσιο) level of secondary school is compulsory until a pupil graduates from the gymnasium (γυμνάσιο) or reaches the age of fifteen.
• Education is provided free of charge in public primary and secondary schools. This includes the gymnasium (γυμνάσιο) and lykeio (λύκειο) (lyceum) levels and technikes scholes.
• The textbooks published by the Ministry of Education and Culture in Cyprus or the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs (Υπουργείο Εθνικής Παιδείας και Θρησκευμάτων) in Greece are provided free of charge to teachers and pupils.
• The Council of Ministers has the authority to provide transport to pupils living at a distance from the school they attend. This is either subsidised or free of charge.

One of the most important developments in the educational sector in the 1990s and the 2000s was the expansion of the university sector in Cyprus. The University of Cyprus (Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου) was established in September 1992, the Open University of Cyprus (OUC) (Ανοικτό Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου) in September 2006 and the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) (Τεχνολογικό Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου) in September 2007. Moreover, steps were taken to upgrade the private institutions of tertiary education under Law 109 (I)/2005, which provides for the establishment and operation of private universities both as profit and non-profit organisations. Three private universities were granted permission to operate by the Council of Ministers in September 2007: Frederick University, European University-Cyprus and the University of Nicosia. Other important recent developments and reforms in education were as follows:

• The introduction of compulsory education until the age of fifteen – Law 24(I)/1993.
• The establishment of the nine-year basic education period. This became a ten-year period on 14/04/04 with the introduction of a compulsory pre-primary (προδημοτική) year with decision 59.824 of the Council of Ministers. This came into force at the beginning of the 2004/05 academic year.
• The addition to the curriculum of classes in technology and computer science.
• The introduction of a new curriculum in Mesi Techniki kai Epangelmatiki Ekpaidefsi (Μέση Τεχνική και Επαγγελματική Εκπαίδευση) (Secondary Technical and Vocational Education) sector in 2001
• The introduction of the Pancyprian Common Examination in the last year of the lyceum (λύκειο) This is intended to combine the school leaving examination with the examination for the allocation of places at universities and tertiary level institutions in Cyprus and Greece.
• Decision 65.536 on 16/05/07 of the Council of Ministers reduced the maximum class size in all grades of nipiagogeio (νηπιαγωγείο) (kindergarten), primary school, gymnasium (γυμνάσιο) and lyceum (λύκειο) to 25. The implementation of this decision would be applied gradually, starting from 2007/08 and ending in 2010/11. By the same school year (2010/11), the maximum size for a symplegma (σύμπλεγμα) multigrade-class in the kindergarten, the elementary, the gymnasium and the lyceum schools was to be reduced gradually to 20. The reduction of the size of classes in primary and pre-primary education started in 2003 and for the lyceum and the gymnasium in 2005.
• The oloimero scholeio concept began experimentally in 1999/2000 in nine primary schools. In2007/08 120 schools operated as proairetika oloimera scholeia.
• On 17/05/06, decision 63.788 of the Council of Ministers created nine eniaia oloimera scholeia on a pilot basis for the school year 2006/07. In 2007/08, the number increased to fifteen.
• In 2005/06, the optional all-day kindergarten (ολοήμερο νηπιαγωγείο) (οloimero nipiagogeio) operated on a pilot basis in ten classes in rural pre-primary schools. In 2006/07, the institution was extended to 16 nursery classes at 14 state nurseries in rural and urban pre-primary schools. In 2007/08 it was extended to 20 classes.
• The regulation and monitoring of private tertiary level educational institutions – in Laws 67(I)/1996 – 193(I)/2002.
• The pre-service training programme for prospective teachers of secondary education, which had been running at the Paidagogiko Institouto Kyprou (Παιδαγωγικό Ινστιτούτο Κύπρου) (Pedagogical Institute of Cyprus) until 2007, was assigned to the University of Cyprus by Law 10/1969-52(I)/2007 and regulations ΚΔΠ 236/2007. The regulations provide that in case the University of Cyprus is not able to offer this programme, the Ministry of Education and Culture can make arrangements for the Pedagogical Institute to offer the pre-service training again for prospective secondary school teachers.

Cyprus education system

Cyprus has a highly developed system of primary and secondary education offering both public and private education. The high quality of instruction can be attributed to a large extent to the above-average competence of the teachers but also to the fact that nearly 7% of the GDP is spent on education which makes Cyprus one of the top three spenders of education in the EU along with Denmark and Sweden. State schools are generally seen as equivalent in quality of education to private-sector institutions.

Pre-Primary education: Pre-Primary Education is compulsory for all children between 4 8/12 – 5 8/12 years old. Children are also accepted over the age of 3. This level of education aims to satisfy the children’s needs for the development of a wholesome personality in an experiential environment which enables them to recognize their capabilities and enhance their self-image. Children from the age of three years to five years and eight months attend one of the following types of institutions of prodimotiki ekpaidefsi (προδημοτική εκπαίδευση) (pre-primary education):

• A public kindergarten
• A community kindergarten
• A private kindergarten

The Ministry of Education and Culture has introduced compulsory pre-primary education for children in the age range from four years and eight months to five years and eight months from the academic year 2004/05. The educational programme in the public and community nipiagogeia retains as many elements of normal family life as possible, with an emphasis on comfort, love, trust, acceptance, safety, respect and the child’s individual personality.

Primary Education: Primary education is compulsory for all children over the age of 5 8/12 and has a duration of 6 years. The aim of Primary Education is to create and secure the necessary learning opportunities for children regardless of age, sex, family and social background and mental abilities. Pupils enter primary education when they reach the age of five years and eight months by 31 August of the year of their registration and attend for six years. Attendance is compulsory. At the end of this period they receive a school-leaving certificate, which entitles them to enter secondary education. There are both public and private dimotika scholeia. According to the ten-year educational programme, the aim of primary education is to create and secure the necessary learning opportunities for children, regardless of age, sex, family and social background and academic ability. Strong emphasis is placed on skills in languages and mathematics, as well as health and environmental education and creative and artistic expression. Recent innovations include the increased use of modern technology, for example, the use of computers as a teaching and learning tool, and the expansion of oloimera scholeia (ολοήμερα σχολεία) (all-day schools) and the move towards integrating pupils with special educational needs into the mainstream.

Secondary Education: Secondary General Education offers two three-year cycles of education – Gymnasio (lower secondary education) and Lykeio (upper secondary education) – to pupils between the ages of 12 and 18. The curriculum includes core lessons, interdisciplinary subjects and a variety of extracurricular activities. The lower secondary school, the gymnasio (γυμνάσιο) (gymnasium), is the first three-year cycle of general secondary education providing education to pupils between the ages of twelve and fifteen. Education in Cyprus is compulsory until the end of the gymnasium (γυμνάσιο) at which point successful graduates receive a leaving certificate, which allows the pupil to enter an upper secondary school, the lykeio (λύκειο) (lyceum) or a secondary level techniki scholi (τεχνική σχολή) (technical school). The main goal of the gymnasium (γυμνάσιο) is to promote the development of pupils according to their age potential and the requirements of society. The gymnasium (γυμνάσιο) is a self-contained unit of general education. It complements the general education offered by primary schools and prepares pupils for education in lyceums (λύκεια) or technical schools. The structure and curriculum of the gymnasia have recently been updated and expanded to include subjects such as the arts, health, nutrition, environmental studies, design and technology. All pupils at the gymnasia study the same subjects. The introduction of the eniaio lykeio (ενιαίο λύκειο) (unified lyceum) (referred to here by the more common term ‘lyceum’) in the academic year 2000/01 has been perhaps one of the most important reforms to the education system of Cyprus in the last two decades. The lyceum (λύκειο) cycle offers a three-year education programme for pupils aged fifteen to eighteen and has as its main focus the general education of pupils as well as the development of their personality. Pupils of the lyceum (λύκειο) must follow a compulsory set of general educational subjects in addition to choosing optional subjects which they select in accordance with their interests, ability and future plans. These subjects provide more in-depth and systematic coverage of a particular field of study. The pupils are assisted in making these choices by counsellors and the committee for the evaluation of pupils’ choices. Success in the lyceum (λύκειο) leads to the school-leaving certificate, which is the qualification for entry into university or any other higher education institution. Approximately 20% of the total student population attend public Mesi Techniki kai Epangelmatiki Ekpaidefsi (Μέση Τεχνική και Επαγγελματική Εκπαίδευση) (Secondary Technical and Vocational Education) (STVE). The STVE programmes include formal technical and vocational education, lifelong learning and training programmes. These are offered in two main streams, either ‘theoretical’ or ‘practical,’ and in various specialties. The programmes last three years and pupils who have graduated from a gymnasium (γυμνάσιο) can attend. The only exception to this is the systima mathiteias (σύστημα μαθητείας) (apprenticeship scheme). STVE apolytirio (απολυτήριο) (school leaving certificate) is equivalent to that of the lyceum (λύκειο) and school leavers from technical schools can compete for places in tertiary education with graduates from the lyceums.

Higher education

Universities in Cyprus

• University of Cyprus
• Cyprus Academy of Art
• Cyprus University of Technology (started in 2007)
• European University - Cyprus (changed name in 2007)
• University of Nicosia (changed name in 2007)
• Frederick University
• Neapolis University
• Cyprus Institute
• Open University of Cyprus

A complete list can be found on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_colleges_and_universities_in_Cyprus

Virtual Campuses in HE

Interesting Virtual Campus Initiatives

The Open University of Cyprus (OUC) is the only University in Cyprus dedicated to distance learning.

Re.ViCa Case-study

None.

References

1. Governmental Portal
2. Governmental Portal > Education
3. Wikipedia's page about Cyprus
4. Styliani Kleanthous and Frances Bell, E-LEARNING STRATEGIES IN CYPRUS, http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/stellak/e-learning-Kleanthous.pdf

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