Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 08-05-10

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] MINISTER OF EDUCATION - INTERVIEW WITH CNA

[02] PRESIDENT CHRISTOFIAS - FRENCH PRIME MINISTER

[01] MINISTER OF EDUCATION - INTERVIEW WITH CNA

In an interview with CNA, following his recent appointment to the post, he said there is a need for wide-ranging changes to be introduced as part of educational reforms to help modernise state schools, at primary and secondary level.

The modernisation of education, a better evaluation of educational work and training of teachers will be backbone of these reforms relating to the Ministrys five-year policy, the Minister explained.

He said he was committed to continue the dialogue with all interested parties, in the context of educational reform, so that the wider possible consent will be achieved. When the dialogue concludes, the Ministry and the government will take the necessary political decisions.

Referring to tertiary education, Demetriou expressed hope that within a few years every young Cypriot, who wishes to study at home, will be able to contest a place the University of Cyprus.

I want to see our local educational institutions respected in Europe and around the globe for quality and research they will conduct, he said, expressing hope that the Medical Faculty at the University of Cyprus, for which the political decision has already been taken, will be ready to accept the first students in five years.

Responding to questions, he said the cost of research in Cyprus is significant and a lot higher than in other countries, noting that there is still a gap on this score between Cyprus and other European countries. The intention of the government, said the Minister of Education, is to increase funding for research. However, he explained that this should happen step by step, because at this time the academic community is not quite really ready to absorb considerably bigger funds than the ones already disbursed.

The Minister of Education believes that it would be good for young Cypriots to be better informed and engage in debates regarding the Cyprus question and the need for a political settlement that will reunite the country, divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion. He said debates and meetings can be introduced at schools to give the chance to students to discuss various matters and get students begin thinking in terms of a reunited Cyprus, in which, as he said, the Cyprus question will be history.

Regarding the decision of the University of Cyprus to accept students with international examinations such as the GCE, Demetriou said he did not believe that this decision will influence negatively state education. He also stressed that decisions taken by bodies such as the Senate of University must be respected.

On cultural issues, the Minister advocates more independence for state cultural institutions, with a view to set up an autonomous authority, which will propose policies on culture. In the next few months the Ministry will promote the creation of autonomous cultural centres all over Cyprus, to help involve the citizens more in cultural issues.

He said these could be set up along the same lines as The neighborhood of artists in the southern coastal town of Limassol, the National Centre of Musical Information, the Museum of Literature, the Cultural Village in Lempa village, on the west, and the Institution for Cultural Creation for children and youth in the southern town of Larnaca.

On sport, the Minister of Education said efforts will focus on providing facilities to enable everybody to participate in sport. He also referred to efforts by the Ministry to secure international distinctions, having the Olympic Games of Beijing as a first objective.

Demetriou said Ministry has already submitted to the Cabinet its priorities for the first hundred days of governance and these are in the process of implementation. The priorities, he explained, relate to all levels of education.

[02] PRESIDENT CHRISTOFIAS - FRENCH PRIME MINISTER

Christofias` comments came days before his new meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat planned for May 23 in a bid to discuss the work done so far in the working groups and technical committees established as agreed by the two leaders during their first meeting on March 21.

A statement issued after that meeting said that Christofias and Talat would meet again at the end of June ``to review the work of the working groups and technical committees, and using their results, to start full-fledged negotiations under the auspices of the Secretary-General of the United Nations.``

``As result of our initiatives there is movement which we hope will lead to negotiations for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem,`` Christofias said in a joint press conference with French Prime Minister Francois Fillon.

President Christofias added, ``I want to clarify that we assumed no commitment to start negotiations without progress in the work of the working groups.``

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