THE ASSOCIATION of Private Teaching Institutions (SIFK) said yesterday their intention was not to cast aspersions on public school teachers, but simply to uphold the law in their drive to clamp down on illegal private lessons after school hours
Earlier this month, the Association gave the police a list of public school teachers they claim are illegally moonlighting. State school teachers are explicitly forbidden from offering paid private lessons outside hours.
Marios Charalambous, Chairman of the Association of the Private Teaching Institutes, told the Cyprus Mail yesterday: “The law has to be applied. Our aim is not to cast aspersions on any teachers. We were given a list of names of those illegally moonlighting, either by students, parents, teachers from the private sector, or even teachers from the public sector who do not tolerate this situation, and we handed it over to the police. I believe the police will enter with a warrant in the place and at the time where the illegal lessons are delivered and act accordingly.”
The President of the Secondary Teachers’ Union (OELMEK) Eleni Semelidou told the Cyprus Mail their intention was not to cover for illegal practices: “We as OELMEK do not wish to cover up any violations of the law. Teachers, unlike other civil servants, are liable to disciplinary and criminal procedures for doing this job after work. Some critics have misinterpreted my comments that teachers should not be treated as criminals. What I actually meant is that we as OELMEK condemn scenes broadcast on television of teachers being arrested – that’s all. The law has to be enforced accordingly,” she agreed.
In 2004, police officers conducted raids on several houses across the island as part of a government-led crackdown on the illegal practice, and charged two teachers after they were caught giving out of hours tuition to students. Officers also arrested a retired teacher after they found the pensioner giving a lesson to five children without a permit.
Semelidou added: “What needs to be done is to make private tutoring unnecessary. There is a need for improvement in education and upgrading the Public School system, so that children receive all the necessary education during school hours and do not need additional tutoring in the afternoon.”
Ioannis Fakas, Director of Fakas Private Institutes, told the Cyprus Mail: “There is great competition against us. Of course pupils will prefer to be given lessons by their school teacher so they can get better grades, and these teachers may take advantage of this and charge as much as they like. Some even claim that they set the syllabus. We, as private institutes know that the syllabus is more or less the same, and you don’t need some ‘insider’ to give you a head start.”
