THE SENATE of the University of Cyprus yesterday decided to suspend for one year its decision to admit pupils to the University with internationally accredited examinations such as GCEs.
“The modern proposal of admission to the university with international examinations is a right measure, which has to be applied,” the Dean of the University of Cyprus, Stavros Zenios, said, stressing, however, that, “responding to the plea of the Minister of Education, as well as House Education Committee Chairman Nicos Tornaritis and members of the committee that more time should be given, the Senate decided to suspend the application of the proposal for the following academic year.”
The Minister had intervened in the face of strike threats from secondary school teachers’ union OELMEK, who argued the move undermined the credibility of public education.
Zenios yesterday repeated the university’s commitment to an admissions system that met European standards, which would not make discriminate between pupils of private and public schools, and said they would work on the resolution of the issue by the end of the year.
At the same time, the Senate expressed its satisfaction at the positive attitude of the Minister of Education and the Chairman and members of the Education Committee.
Regarding the applications already filed by pupils of private schools, Zenios said there were ten applications in total, and that the University’s lawyers would advise on the issue.
Commenting on OELMEK’s opposition, the University Dean said the Senate’s decisions only concerned the University, pointing out the body was only acting within the law.
Zenios added: “Last week, important principles were enshrined by the Ministry of Education and the House Education Committee, such as the need to adopt a European standards admission system that does not discriminate between students.”
He also welcomed the Education Ministry’s stance that it is the University’s prerogative to tackle these issues, “something that had been disputed at the beginning of the talks”.
OELMEK head George Skalias said yesterday the decision was “a step in the right direction”, adding that “we are willing to enter a dialogue with the Senate and other affiliated parties to reach the final solution of the matter”.
The student federation POFEN said the Senate’s decision gave the opportunity for a wider social dialogue. POFEN also welcomed OELMEK’s decision to call off the strike that they had announced for May 26.
Education Committee Chairman Tornaritis also welcomed the move: “We believe the decision of the Senate was very wise,” he said, adding that the University’s decision had calmed things down, and that “the decision of the Senate opens the channels for dialogue”.
