Pilot programme looks to increase involvement for better results
THE EDUCATION Ministry yesterday confirmed plans to go ahead with a revolutionary pilot programme in select state schools, giving more autonomy to head teachers and hopefully involving students, teachers and parents more in school life.
Eleven gymnasiums and lyceums have been chosen to participate in the initial programme: four in Nicosia, three in Limassol, two in Larnaca, one in Paphos and one in the Famagusta district. It will take effect in September, the schools involved have already accepted to take part and their names will be published soon.
A ministry official, who wished to remain unnamed, said the idea was suggested after a similar programme had been implemented at Geri gymnasium three or four years ago, with tremendous success. The hope is to eventually extend the programme to all schools throughout the island, he said.
“Delinquency rates dropped and students’ performance improved. Everyone was pleased, from the parents and the students to the teachers and the community,” he said.
The programme will include a list of 26 suggestions to help enrich the quality of school life.
Examples include:
l encouraging students’ involvement in areas where they can excel, such as theatrical productions, art exhibitions, a sports column in the school paper and charity visits;
l giving students a vote so that they can take a more active role in what goes on in their school such as a vote on what lecture they want to watch, what school play they’ll put on, the colour they want their classroom walls painted, what punishment students who use their mobile phones in class should be given; agreeing on a common and encouraging manner towards ‘naughty’ or low achievement students’ parents so as to discourage their frequent visits to schools;
l arranging weekly meetings between parents of disruptive students and the school management or heads of department;
l implementing a delinquency prevention programme with the constant monitoring of lessons and an educational programme; and teachers will undertake the defence of students at the disciplinary council so as not to destroy the connection between difficult students and schools.
He said: “The aim is to create more autonomy in schools. These innovations will hopefully make schools more human centred, more democratic and help students, teachers and parents.”
To start with the programme will include gymnasiums and lyceums although the inclusion of a primary school in the pilot study was still under negotiation, he said.
“There are one or two primary schools that might also participate in this programme so that there’s some sort of continuity if a primary school, gymnasium and lyceum in the same district take part,” he said.
He added: “At present parents and teachers’ morale is very low because the environment in schools is not as it should be. But the message we want to get across is that there is a solution and it can work, just as a previous experiment worked.”
??
??
??
??
