New school timetables get final approval

THE NEW curricula and timetables agreed as part of the educational reform process will finally be implemented in all primary schools this September, Education Minister Andreas Demetriou said yesterday.

Speaking after a cabinet meeting, Demetriou said: “Cabinet approved (yesterday) the new timetable for primary education, and so from September our primary schools will work fully with the new curricula and timetables.”

He added: “We believe this is a big change for our education system and I welcome the fact that we got here with the full consent of all stakeholders and of course POED (primary school teachers’ union), which has been very cooperative in this whole process.”

Asked what changes will be made to the timetables, the minister replied: “A number of hours are being introduced each week for ‘consolidation’. In other words, educators will be allocated extra time to work with pupils who are facing difficulties or extra time will be given for lessons where there are greater difficulties.”

Demetriou argued this way educators would have the chance to focus on a more personal level on the difficulties of individual pupils based on their needs. He added in the long run, the ministry hoped this would help tackle the phenomenon of private afternoon lessons.

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