Education
and Culture Minister participates
in Informal Meeting of EU Education Ministers
in Paris
“We,
the Ministers responsible for Education, and the Commissioner for Education,
Culture, Youth and Sport, reaffirm our determination to stand shoulder to
shoulder in support of fundamental values that lie at the heart of the European
Union: respect for human dignity, freedom (including freedom of expression),
democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights.”
This
was highlighted in the “Declaration on Promoting citizenship and the common
values of freedom, tolerance and non-discrimination through education” issued at
the end of the EU Education Ministers Informal Meeting, held on 17 March in
Paris. The Minister of Education and Culture, Mr Costas Kadis, participated in
the Informal Meeting, which was attended by all EU Education Ministers or
Vice-ministers, as well as by the French President, Mr François Hollande.
The
meeting was organized at the initiative of the French Minister of Education, Mrs
Najat Vallaud-Belcacem, and supported by the Latvian Presidency and the European
Commission, in response to the recent terrorist events in Paris and
Copenhagen.
The
aim of the ministerial meeting was to discuss the role of education in providing
information and raising awareness among young people, teachers and parents on
policies to combat racism, intolerance, xenophobia and social exclusion.
In
his intervention, Minister Kadis said the following: "In a multicultural Europe,
education is not only preparing for the labour market, supporting personal
development and providing a broad knowledge base; schools are the most important
fora for the preparation of young people for life as active citizens. They are
responsible for guiding and supporting young people in acquiring the tools and
developing attitudes necessary for life in society in all its aspects and enable
them to understand and acquire the values that underpin democratic life,
introducing respect for human rights as the foundations for managing diversity
and stimulating openness to other cultures."
He
also stressed the key role of educators in promoting intercultural dialogue.
" Teacher
effectiveness and quality are fundamental for the promotion of citizenship and
the common values of freedom, tolerance and non-discrimination. To this end
educational authorities need to invest on these values by designing appropriate
teacher pre- and in-service training, building relevant professional development
skills ",
Mr Kadis said.
On
the sidelines of the Informal Meeting, Mr Kadis had the opportunity to meet with
the Director General of UNESCO, Ms Irina Bokova, and express his deep
appreciation for the outstanding work of UNESCO in education, culture,
sustainable development, protection of human rights and culture of peace and
non-violence.
He
highlighted that Cyprus, despite its small size, is committed to actively
participating in all UNESCO programs.
He also added that Cyprus promotes programs for the implementation of
UNESCO Conventions and for raising awareness on the protection of world
heritage, intangible cultural heritage and cultural diversity.
Mr
Kadis also stressed the special interest of Cyprus in the protection of cultural
heritage, due to its particular political situation following the 1974 Turkish
invasion and the destruction of significant elements of its cultural heritage in
the occupied areas of the island.
