Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 03-02-09

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From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cyprus-mail.com/>

Sunday, February 9, 2003

CONTENTS

[01] Studying in the UK: the going gets tough

[02] 'Clerides will win in the second round'

[03] Districts gear up for Sunday's vote

[04] Two held after tourist's nose broken in brawl

[01] Studying in the UK: the going gets tough

STUDENTS from Cyprus will face stiffer competition for British university places once the island joins the European Union, losing the attraction that hefty overseas fees gave them to cash-strapped academic institutions.

British education officials have warned that after Cyprus joins the EU on May 1, 2004, only the best students will be picked for university places in the UK. Those who cannot compete with other 'home' students risk being left behind.

Alistair Speirs, law lecturer and admissions tutor for the University of Newcastle, told the Sunday Mail that overall fees will decrease for Cypriot students -- but they will find it a lot harder to secure a place.

“There is a direct limit on the number of home students (meaning UK and EU) any university can accept in any one year,” Speirs said. “The bad news for Cypriot students is that they will now fall within our 'quota' for home students. With international students, I can take on as many overseas students as I want, subject to capacity within the department.”

Up to now, Cypriot students have competed with other international students for an unlimited number of places, but after accession, they will be competing with British and EU students for a limited number of places.

Speirs gave an example from the University of Newcastle, a member of the Russell Group of universities:

“For undergraduate law, my quota is 140 students each year. Because law is a very popular subject, I get about 1,200 applications every year. In order to make a final selection we offer students a place based on high A Level results, basically an A-A-B result.

“The problem for Cypriot students is that whereas before I could take as many Cypriot students as I liked, and in fact there was a positive incentive for me in terms of fees, now, they will, in effect, be battling it out with other home students. And I think they are going to find it difficult, partly because they don't have English as a first language.”

Speirs said that in popular courses, admissions officers would be more likely to choose home students over Cypriot students where there is any doubt about language proficiency.

“Not many Cypriots come to us with A Levels -- most do the apolitirion. Admissions tutors will have to be clued up to know what a good level of apolitirion is. At the moment, I don't have to draw that parallel because it's not an 'either or' choice. I can take a Cypriot if I'm happy that he can cope with the course and I can take my AAB home student, because they are not competing for the same place.

But not all agreed. David Stevens from the International Office of University College of London (UCL), said: “Admission requirements at UCL do not vary for home and overseas students. We aim to attract the best students, and the Cyprus market tends to have very well qualified students. So the fee difference isn't a big issue, it's more academic. We already have a strict English requirement.”

In fact, he hoped accession would actually see an increase in the number of Cypriot students, pointing out the largest overseas contingent was from EU member Greece.

“We have decided to build on the strength of links we have with Cyprus and set up our own independent exhibition along with King's College, LSE and Imperial College,” says Stevens. The first such exhibition will be held this year at the Hilton Hotel for two days on February 28 and March 1.

Education Minister Ouranios Ioannides believes good students will always have a place in UK universities, but admitted the pressure would be on under-performing students who would have less scope to compete with home students after accession.

“The top universities take the top students. That's not going to change. For the other range of universities, they too take into consideration the grades of Cypriot students and their performance. So numbers there won't change either because our students are good and they bring good results,” said Ioannides.

“The problem lies with weaker students who might now find places in some of the less-established universities. Without financial incentive for the universities, the students with low grades will find it more difficult to secure a place.”

But there is a bright side: “This is not so bad. It means if you work hard enough, you'll get in. Now, it'll be really down to the quality of the student.”

And with fees increasing for British students, the competition may actually fall. Some in the field of higher education have suggested that the proposed increase in home fees from £1,100 to £3,000 sterling in 2006 and the subsequent increase in the average student debt to about £20,000 will dissuade many British students from going to university, thereby opening up more places in the university market.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

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[02] 'Clerides will win in the second round'

Speaking at Larnaca airport shortly after his arrival from an official visit to Lebanon, Cassoulides said the elections would be decided by a margin of one to 1.5 per cent.

“This percentage would give Mr Papadopoulos a pre-election advantage but the final victory will belong to Glafcos Clerides,” he said.Cassoulides said he was concerned about the way Papadopoulos would handle the Cyprus problem if he is elected.

“Papadopoulos is a beginner in the political philosophy he claims he will follow,” he said.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

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[03] Districts gear up for Sunday's vote

DISTRICT electoral officers will call on more than 4,500 civil servants to man 1,075 polling stations around the island during next Sunday's presidential elections.

Nicosia District returning officer Argyris Papanastasiou said that 195,0658 voters will be casting their votes in 414 polling stations staffed by 2,000 civil servants. There are 3,173 new voters in the district, he said.

Election results for the Nicosia District are expected to be ready around three hours after the polling stations close.

Papanastasiou said that the first results from small polling stations in the district will be made public at around 5.45pm while the final results are expected to be announced two hours later.

The 2,000 Nicosia district civil servants will attend training seminars on Tuesday and Wednesday where they will be instructed in the election procedures.

In the Limassol District, around 1,500 civil servants will be working on election Sunday to process 134,041 votes, all of which will be counted in situ as soon as the polls close at 5pm.

Paphos District Officer Andreas Christodoulides said the counting of the votes at the district's 119 polling stations will begin at around 5.45pm and that results from an expected 41,945 votes will be announced at around 9pm on Sunday.

The number of people expected to vote in Larnaca District's 169 polling stations has been estimated at 79,391. Larnaca District returning officer Kyprianos Matheou said the number of voters since the last presidential elections were held in 1998 has increased by 5,460.

Famagusta District's election results from an estimated 25,433 voters are expected to be announced at 8pm, according to returning officer Andreas Stylianides.

Government Spokesman Michalis Papapetrou said yesterday overall results of the voting should be known by 11pm.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

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[04] Two held after tourist's nose broken in brawl

Four British men and their girlfriends told police they were returning to the Coral Bay Hotel in Peyia in the early hours of Friday after a drink in a nearby pub, when four Greek Cypriot men in a car began to harass the women.

A brawl between the tourists and the Greek Cypriots broke out, resulting in one of the British, 17-year-old Christopher Tinsley, sustaining a broken nose. He spent the night at Paphos General Hospital after underoing surgery.

The other tourists, David Palatina, Michael Thomas and Darven Palatina, were treated for minor injuries, but were later discharged.

Paphos police said two men were arrested on Friday night in connection with the incident.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

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