Coronavirus: EU Ministers discuss challenges during teleconference

Education Minister Prodromos Prodromou joined his EU counterparts on Tuesday in a teleconference to discuss the most important challenges that education and training systems have to manage as a consequence of the coronavirus epidemic.

It was the second teleconference of its kind, convened by the Croatian Presidency and chaired by its Minister of Science and Education Blazenka Divjak, with the participation of ministers of the EU, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland, and the Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel.

Prodromou briefed his counterparts on the satisfactory, so far, implementation of distance education, in all grades of compulsory education and in higher secondary education.

The ministers were asked to take a position on the use of European funding under the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative, to further strengthen the education and training sector.

Prodromou said he was in consultation with the competent authority in Cyprus, with the aim of re-evaluating the proposals to serve the needs created by this unprecedented situation.

He mentioned as priority areas the support of students, the technological upgrade of schools, as well as the review of the curriculum aiming at further emphasis on digital education and training.

Prodromou called on his counterparts to focus on the next day: “When the measures expire and we return to normalcy, we should all work together, make the most of the experience gained and organise with consistency and coherence our future steps,” he said.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.