Speech by the Minister of Education at the inauguration of the Junior School’s new wing
The main aim of the Ministry of Education and Culture is to provide the necessary opportunities for children to reach their full potential. Our goal is to provide a safe environment where they can acquire fundamental learning, can experiment, try out new things, and develop the key competences, which are vital for the success of young people who will enter the ever-evolving modern society of the 21st century.
School functions as the children’s second home and the school community functions as the children’s second family. It is, therefore, our primary responsibility to ensure that our educational institutions are providing the best possible environment for our young people, whether they attend public or private schools in the Republic of Cyprus.
The Junior School’s philosophy about learning and about education in general is in agreement with the Ministry’s philosophy and we are pleased about how it cares and provides for its pupils. The Junior School has been in existence since 1944 and has a long tradition of serving an international student body during the last 71 years. Currently, 40% of the pupils come from a variety of countries from around the world and the remaining 60% are from Greek or Turkish Cypriot backgrounds.
The school offers an environment where pupils can widen their understanding of other cultures as well as enrich their learning experience and master new skills through technology and collaborative learning. Amongst this truly international environment, Greek culture is central and significant in the syllabus of the school and all pupils are taught Greek language and history, in addition to following a traditional mix of Mathematics, English, Science and Humanities.
Today, we are here to inaugurate the school’s new wing, which has been added to the existing facilities. It will serve the needs of the Primary School, as well as a Kindergarten and a pre-school class and will enable the school to provide a state of the art’s 21st century educational provision in a modern, fully equipped building.
I would like to congratulate the school for this achievement. It is truly a credit for everyone involved. I wish the pupils and teaching staff enjoy many creative and stimulating experiences in the new building.
