Ministry releases ‘better school’ guide for parents and pupils

By Annette Chrysostomou

THE first school guide for parents and pupils of primary education aims at facilitating the lives of parents and improving public schools.

“The school guide is an innovation in our education which highlights the important role of parents in achieving education goals”, education minister Costas Kadis explained while distributing the 2015-2016 guide at the Pefkios Georgiades elementary school.

“The aim of the school guide,” he continued, “is to facilitate the daily lives of parents by collecting useful information and reminders of important dates of this year’s school year, thereby enabling parents and guardians to be informed and, by extension, to effectively manage school needs and requirements of their children.”

Discussing with students of the fourth, fifth and sixth forms about the information which, in their view, should be included, pupils spontaneously suggested topics such as student behaviour at school, how to do homework, the school curriculum, educational programmes on the environment, the procedure for informing parents about the progress of their children and others.

Kadis informed the pupils that all the issues raised are already included in this year’s guide. In this context, he called on parents, teachers and students to help with their contributions to enrich and improve this first version, so that the guide for the school year 2016-2017 will further meet the needs of parents and students for information.

The minister stressed that the school guide enriches and strengthens the effort of the ministry for the improvement and upgrading of the public school.

“I am optimistic that the school guide will be a useful school activity management tool that will simplify the daily lives of parents and students,” he added.

Head of parents association Maria Savva welcomed the adoption of the school guide, describing it as a necessary and useful means of communication and cooperation of school and family.

“Cooperation between parents, teachers and the Education ministry can only bring positive results,” she said.

According to the ministry, the distribution of the school guide in all public schools has already begun and should be completed within days.

The guide can be found on the Education and Culture ministry website at http://enimerosi.moec.gov.cy/ypp3342

 

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