A NEW fast track Greek language course for the children of expatriates attending state schools has been introduced after a series of incidents involving truancy, bullying and anti-social behaviour amongst foreign pupils.
Local education officials have found it an increasing challenge to find the resources to help some of these children, most of who arrive at the school speaking no Greek at all.
Media reports last month suggested that some British expat students were disrupting lessons at Paralimni high school, with one newspaper claiming that antisocial behaviour was affecting the safety and well being of teachers and fellow students at the school.
Despite the incidents being played down by authorities, headmistress Melani Hadjicharalambous did acknowledge that there was a serious problem with the language barrier.
“Of course some new pupils caused problems, that was because they sat in class and did not understand anything at all, this new Greek language scheme is designed to help them learn quickly,” she told the Sunday Mail.
Paralimni high school has a higher number of English speaking students in comparison to most other schools in Cyprus, because of a high percentage of expats moving to the area with teenage children.
Discussion amongst expats about the problems relating to the language barrier have been rife, with several parents reporting that their children had come under pressure to break the rules by friends.
Some parents have complained that their children have been skipping classes, been subjected to ‘anti British’ history lessons and had their viewpoint ignored by teachers and officials.
“We found out after the second time our son missed some classes, he said the other boys called him a chicken and other names if he did not skive off with them, he really didn’t want to which is the sad thing,” one mother told the Sunday Mail.
It has been common for the British students to stick together, especially boys, who often leave the school grounds just moments after the morning register.
“We found out our son was bunking off from a neighbour who saw him in the café at a local supermarket. There was a lot of shouting and arguments with the upshot being that he said he hated school and wanted us to take him home to Scotland,” she added.
In recent years Ayia Napa, Protaras and Paralimni have proved popular destinations for younger expats with kids.
Hadjicharalambous said the recent influx of foreign students came from across Europe and had changed the makeup of the school system.
“We have about 40 foreign students, not just British, but also Turkish, Ukrainian, Russian, Bulgarian and other nationalities. It is very multicultural.”
The surge of English-speaking students attending state schools, which in the past have been predominantly occupied by Greek Cypriots, has meant officials and teachers within the education system have had to learn quickly to deal with the new status quo.
“It has not been easy for everyone, but we are really seeing a difference. These new lessons teach foreign pupils seven hours of Greek a week. They no longer have to attend history or religious studies, they work on Greek language. We are really seeing progress very quickly.”
Paralimni high school is one of 16 schools that have adopted the programme aimed at integrating all foreign students into the state school system. In short, students will skip lessons deemed ‘non essential’ to attend intensive Greek courses.
It’s thought that the small classes, consisting of just eight pupils and frequency of the lessons should help many students attain a workable knowledge of the Greek language within months.
The new intensive courses are designed to make life less stressful for some students, who found sitting in a classroom unaware of what was happening intolerable – thus prompting some to misbehave.
Education experts say it is possible for teenagers to adjust, but it may take longer than for younger children and getting used to a new education system and leaving friends back in the UK are two of the main difficulties for the older child.
In an interview with the Sunday Mail, District Inspector of Higher Education for Larnaca and Famagusta, Sotiris Eleftheriou, said any problems with disruptive children is born from language barriers
“We knew that students who don’t speak the language could be a little bit nervous in class and even disobedient or unwilling to follow instructions. It is completely normal behaviour for every foreign speaker entering a new system. The problem is, and has always been, the language.”
Eleftheriou was upbeat about the fast track language scheme, which he said was already proving to be a massive success, despite only being in its infancy.
“This pilot programme is working, the students who pick up Greek quickly can then join the system with other students, we are enthusiastic about this and we think problems will cease.”
Paralimni high school is also trying to create a stronger communication link with the parents of foreign children by organising parent-teacher meetings to discuss any problems that students face.
