Cyprus
2016 Report on the State of Citizenship and Human Rights Education in Europe
Questionnaire filled in by the Ministry of Education and Culture
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Q1 Would you agree that citizenship and human rights education is a means to address…
a) … violent extremism and radicalisation leading to terrorism?
To a great extent
b) … integration of migrants and refugees?
To a great extent
c) … consequences of the economic crisis / austerity measures / social exclusion?
To a medium extent
d) … the deficit of democratic participation of both vulnerable and non-vulnerable groups in society with the overall aim of building cohesive and equitable societies?
To a great extent
Q2 In your country, is priority given to…
a) … EDC/HRE at national government level
To a fair extent
b) … EDC/HRE at local government level
Not at all
c) … EDC/HRE at educational institution level (school, college, university)
To a large extent
d) … supporting training about EDC/HRE for teachers and school leaders
To a fair extent
e) … making resources / materials about EDC/HRE available
To a fair extent
f) … making financial support for EDC/HRE available
To a little extent
g) … supporting co-operation with NGOs, including youth organisations, in the field of EDC/HRE?
To a little extent
Further comments
Q3 What is needed for citizenship and human rights education to receive a greater priority in your country?
a) Improved awareness of relevance of EDC/HRE for meeting the current challenges in our societies
To a large extent
b) Availability of data on effectiveness of EDC/HRE with respect to meeting the current challenges in our societies, including examples of good practice
To a large extent
c) Advocacy by civil society organisations
To a fair extent
d) Advocacy by prominent personalities
To a fair extent
e) Increased visibility of EDC/HRE in the media coverage
To a large extent
f) Political will
To a large extent
g) Political pressure from regional and international institutions
To a little extent
h) More resources allotted to EDC/HRE
To a large extent
i) Other
Please specify “other”
Further comments
Q4 In your country, are there any inconsistencies between...
a)…statements of principle (on the value of EDC/HRE in education for all people) and existing education policies?
Not at all
b)…EDC/HRE policies and their implementation in practice?
To a fair extent
c)…EDC/HRE policies and other policy sectors?
To a fair extent
Please describe the existing inconsistences:
There is not enough data collected to assess whether what is decided at policy level is implemented successfully.
Further comments
Q5 In your country, have strategic approaches / measures been taken to counter these inconsistencies, since 2012?
Yes
If yes, please specify:
There is an on-going educational reform with the view to turn into reality the vision of a better and more modern system that will meet the needs and challenges of the 21st century. The revised curricula are based on the principle that children should be aware of their rights and responsibilities and also be able to safeguard, respect, accept and tolerate the rights of others. A key point for this approach is the appreciation of the personality of every child and the commitment to the respect and the implementation of human rights.
The Ministry of Education and Culture implemented a project titled “iDecide: An innovative toolkit for inclusive decision making policies” (562184-EPP-1-2015-1-CY-EPPKA3-PI-FORWARD) funded by the European Commission Key action 3: Support for policy reform – Initiatives for policy innovation. The project iDecide aims to develop an innovative toolkit and induction course to support evidence-based policy making that can lead to the reduction of disparities in learning outcomes and marginalization, by supporting school leaders, school staff, and policymakers to engage in shared and inclusive decision making. By implementing the toolkit and collecting rich data, we aim to understand the complexities of how decisions at school level influence marginalized groups and develop concrete recommendations for policy and practice on how to engage in shared decision making, giving voice to all stakeholders.
If no, please explain why not:
Further comments
Q6 Have concrete measures/activities been taken to promote citizenship and human rights education in your country since 2012, in accordance with the objectives and principles of the Charter? (NB: this includes work done in the framework of the UN World Programme for Human Rights Education and other relevant international programmes and initiatives)
Yes
If yes, please specify:
The Ministry of Education and Culture, in accordance with the Plan of Action of the World Programme for Human Rights Education, has undertaken specific actions to incorporate human rights in school curricula. These actions include educational policies (i.e. modernizing curricula and upgrading teacher training), policy implementation measures (i.e. establishing coordination mechanisms and allocating resources), learning environment changes (i.e. sharing understanding, respect and responsibility) and opportunities for professional development of teachers. More specifically, the newly reformed curricula encourage personal and social development within a socio-cultural environment that respects human rights and principles (such as equality and non-discrimination). As part of the revised curricula, an innovative school subject has been introduced, titled "Health Education". The curriculum for this subject includes separate thematic units that cover economic, social as well as cultural rights. The Health Education curriculum provides solutions towards the empowerment of individuals and the development of a collective sense of responsibility towards the sustainability of the society. Regarding publications on human rights, there is online teaching material on the Ministry’s website which is accessible to everyone. Apart from this, the Compasito Manual on Human Rights Education for Children (published by the Council of Europe) has been translated into Greek and has been distributed to all public schools around the island to support the implementation of the new curriculum. A team of trainers from the Office of the Commissioner for Children’s Rights and the NGO Support Centre organised a number of in-service training sessions to support the teaching staff in using Compasito activities into teaching. Additionally, the Ministry translated and distributed to all primary school teachers the Social Learning Package - Teachers’ Manual, published by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the CARE Organisation in India. This manual includes topics on consumer education, human rights, citizenship, globalisation issues etc. and is an important tool in terms of content and teaching approaches.
If no, please explain why not:
Further comments
Q7 Are there any measures/activities planned to promote citizenship and human rights education in your country, in accordance with the aims and objectives of the Charter?
Yes
If yes, please specify:
Cyprus participated as a full partner country in the two cycles of the “EU/CoE Pilot Projects Scheme on Human Rights and Democracy in Action: Teaching controversial issues – developing effective training for teachers and school leaders”. The first cycle of the Project was conducted in 2014 - 2015 (“Living with Controversy – A Training Tool for Teachers”) aiming at teacher’s training on how to handle controversial issues at school. The tool’s main aim was to help teachers deal with controversial issues by taking a holistic approach. In particular, issues such as religion, sexuality, euthanasia, racism, homophobia, transphobia, bullying, sexism, nationalism which were included in the learning objectives of the Health Education curriculum. The second cycle of the project was conducted in 2015 – 2016 (Managing Controversy: A Whole-School Training Tool) aiming to produce a tool for school leaders, senior managers and leadership teams on how to manage and react to Controversial Issues in and beyond the school. Teacher trainers at the Pedagogical Institute provided support on citizenship and human rights education at school level. The end products of the project (websites, lessons plans, videos, scoping papers, tools for teachers, tools for head teachers) were integrated (or will be integrated) to support existing policies and practices that teachers and school leaders are obliged to follow. From the project Health Education Curriculum handbooks, lesson plans, pedagogies, etc. have been added (or will be added) to the current website. For Antiracist policy of the Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture ‘Code of Conduct against Racism and Guide for Managing and Recording Racist Incidents’: Specific guidelines developed through the pilot project were added to the antiracist policy. For the tool ‘Discovering the Elephant’ developed by the Ministry of Education and Culture, which includes activities such as debates on controversial issues (e.g. euthanasia for animals, family types, drugs, smoking ) will be enriched from the project. For in-service training on health education curriculum: teacher and head teacher trainings on the tools were produced based on the two cycles of the project.
During this school year (2015-2016), the Ministry of Education and Culture has set antiracist policy as a goal for all schools titled “Sensitization of students against racism and intolerance, and promotion of equality and respect, in the context of the No Hate Speech Movement of the Council of Europe". The ECRI General Policy Recommendation N° 10 Combating Racism And Racial Discrimination In And Through School Education (Adopted On 15 December 2006), Strasbourg, 21 March 2007) recommended that, among others, the governments/states combat racism and racist discrimination at school by setting up a system to monitor racist incidents at school and compile data on these phenomena in order to devise long-term policies to counter them. So the “Code of Conduct and Guide for Managing and Recording Racist Incidents” was produced aiming not to characterize or identify individuals as ‘racist’ or ‘not racist’, but to identify any direct or indirect, purposeful or involuntary, acts and processes which lead to negative discrimination against individuals or groups based on their (perceived) diversity, develop urgent action for the prevention and treatment of racist incidents, and develop anti-racist culture. The Code of Conduct and Guide include information on the necessity for development and implementation, theoretical background: identity, diversity, ‘race’, prejudice, stereotype, discrimination, racism, xenophobia, nationalism, intolerance, homophobia, transphobia, bullying, hate speech, under-reporting and racist incident, aim and goals of the policy and the code, the responsibilities and commitments for all members of the school community.
The Ministry of Education and Culture also participates in the newly established ET 2020 Working Group of the European Commission on promoting citizenship and the common values of freedom, tolerance and non-discrimination through education (follow-up to the Paris declaration).
If no, please explain why not:
Further comments
Q8 Is the Charter…
a)…available in the language(s) of your country?
Yes
b)…available in the minority language(s) of your country?
No
c)…available on the website of the Ministry of Education or another relevant body?
Yes
d)… disseminated to the target audiences by other means?
No
If no, please explain why not:
Further comments
Q9 The Council of Europe has produced a number of tools and resources to promote and support citizenship and human rights education within and across the States Party to the European Cultural Convention. These tools and resources are available at: www.coe.int/en/web/edc/resources and at: www.coe.int/compass (Please indicate the usefulness, in your country, of the following Council of Europe tools and resources.)
a) Charter on EDC/HRE
Extensively used
b) Strategic Support for Decision-makers: Policy Tool for EDC/HRE
Moderately used
c) Democratic Governance of Schools
Extensively used
d) How all Teachers Can Support EDC/HRE: A Framework for the Development of Competencies
Extensively used
d) Quality Assurance of EDC in Schools
Extensively used
e) School-Community-University Partnerships for Sustainable Democracy: EDC in Europe and the US
Extensively used
f) Living Democracy' Manuals for Teachers
Extensively used
g) A Compendium of Good Practice in HRE
Scarcely used
h) Compass, manual for human rights education with young people
Extensively used
i) Compasito, manual for human rights education with children
Extensively used
j) Human Rights and Democracy Start with Us – Charter for All
Moderately used
k) Curriculum development and review for democratic citizenship and human rights education
Extensively used
l) Multimedia Material (ex. video “Beat Bullying”, series of cartoons “Democracy and Human Rights at School”, video “Corporal punishment at school : how two parents decided to change things”)
Scarcely used
m) “Freedom(s) - Learning activities for secondary schools on the case law of the European Court of Human Rights
Extensively used
Other (please specify: ______)
If these resources were useful, please specify:
- Cooperation among schools and exchange of ideas.
- Seminars, conferences and workshops offered by the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute both at the Institute premises and on school-based events (teacher, training, students conferences etc.).
If these resources were not useful, please specify:
Further comments
QUESTIONS ON SPECIFIC ARTICLES OF THE CHARTER
SECTION 1: GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 3. Relationship between education for democratic citizenship and human rights education
Q10 Is there a shared working definition of citizenship and human rights education in your country?
Yes
In case if there is no shared working definition of citizenship and human rights education, please explain why not:
Please provide the name of the term in English and in original language as well as its definition and indicate the references and/or web link.
SECTION 2: OBJECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES
Article 5. Objectives and Principles
Q11 In your country, to what extent do education laws, policies, and strategic objectives explicitly refer to citizenship and human rights education
a) … in formal education at pre-primary, primary and secondary level?
Moderately
b) … in vocational education and training?
Moderately
c) … in higher education?
Moderately
d) … in the training of education personnel?
Moderately
e) … in youth policy and non-formal education?
Moderately
In case if education laws, policies, and strategic objectives do refer explicitly to EDC/HRE, please specify:
The Code of Conduct and Guide for Managing and Recording Racist Incidents as described in Q7.
In case if education laws, policies, and strategic objectives do not explicitly refer EDC/HRE, please explain why not:
SECTION 3: POLICIES
Article 6. Formal general and vocational education
Q12 In your country is education for democratic citizenship and human rights promoted as follows in schools and colleges:
a) specific subject matter – obligatory
c) cross-curricula approach
d) whole school approach
Please provide further details including web links where appropriate:
a) Through the various courses and special seminars, exhibitions and other events (Language and Literature, History, Civic Education, School Conferences); the Health Education Curriculum (described in Q6).
Further comments
Q13 If citizenship and human rights education is included in the curricula in your country, has it been subject to revision and updating since 2012 at...
a) … pre-primary education?
Yes
b) … primary school?
Yes
c) … lower secondary school (including vocational)?
Yes
d) … upper secondary school (including vocational)?
Yes
If no, please explain why not:
If yes, then what are/were the key challenges? How will they be / how were they overcome?
- Health Education Curriculum (described Q6).
- According to the new Curricula a shift from folklore approaches of culture and identity to their impact on school achievement is noted with an emphasis on learning outcomes and competences. The main idea permeating the New Curricula (2010) is that “Greek Cypriot children are encouraged to negotiate their identities and at the same time to respect the identities of both the members of the recognized religious minorities and communities in Cyprus, as well as of the people who have migrated to the island (…) The right and obligation for education implies the determination of the society to reject any kind of exclusion and that the democratic school entails a school where all children are entitled to become educated”.
To what extent was the revision and updating process inclusive and participatory?
Further comments
Article 7. Higher education
Q14 To what extent is citizenship and human rights education provision promoted in higher education institutions in your country?
Moderately
If not at all or scarcely, please explain why:
If extensively, please explain why and provide examples:
EDC/HRE are considered very important .They are promoted through seminars, discussions, class work, etc.
Further comments
Article 8. Democratic governance
Q15 In your country, are there any education laws, policies and strategies that promote democratic governance in educational institutions, particularly schools, concerning…
a) … decision making procedures (e.g. governing bodies / school boards)?
Yes
b) … school culture / rules?
Yes
c) … pupil / student participation (e.g. school / student councils)?
Yes
d) … parental / family involvement in schools (e.g. governing bodies / school boards)?
Yes
e) …school / community links (in and out of school)?
Yes
If yes, please specify:
School elections, Parent-Teacher Associations, faculty representatives, etc.
If no, please explain why not:
Further comments
Article 9. Training
Q16 In your country, is there a provision for citizenship and human rights education in initial teacher education, continuing professional development and other types of training for…
a) … teachers?
Yes
b) … school leaders?
Yes
c) … other education staff?
Yes
d) … youth leaders (in and out of school)?
Yes
e) … teacher trainers / trainers of trainers?
Yes
f) … parents?
No
If yes, please specify:
As regards pre-service education all secondary school teachers should attend a pre-service training course of eight months duration before being appointed to schools. According to the Law on Public Educational Service (amendment regulations 2007) teachers to be appointed are asked by the Educational Service Commission to enrol in the pre-service course offered by the University of Cyprus in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Culture. The course requires attendance of 6 modules (2 obligatory modules on pedagogical knowledge: Methodology of Teaching and Educational Psychology; 2 modules on content pedagogical knowledge; 1 module on content knowledge and 1 optional module) and school experience through a mentoring relationship. Evaluation is based on assignments, written examination, teaching and reflections of observed lessons.
A new Law on the appointment of teachers including examinations before applying for appointment will be enacted in 2017.
The Cyprus Pedagogical Institute is the official provider of in service teacher training of the Ministry of Education and Culture in Cyprus. Regarding issues of Diversity Department the Institute provides the following:
- One session as part of the programme for newly appointed deputy head teachers and head teachers on “The role of school leadership in teaching, managing and enhancing sociocultural diversity”;
- Afternoon seminars offered on an optional basis (duration 15 teaching hours) covering the following areas during 2015-2016: Dealing with identities and diversities, Implementation of antiracist policy in school, Teaching Greek as a second language in the mainstream class; - School-based seminars after the school applies for a seminar in the form of Lecture, Workshop or Action Research professional learning scheme;
- One-day trainings organized by the Institute and offered in schools or on a central basis during the “Teachers’ days” (two days dedicated to teacher professional learning that take place in September and January) for pre-primary/primary and secondary teachers of all schools accordingly;
- Conferences and workshops (co-funded by the European Social Fund, the Refugee Fund etc.) focusing on current issues related to teaching, managing and enhancing sociocultural diversity. For instance, for the school year 2015-2016 the focus is on the MOEC’s antiracist policy as a goal for all schools «Sensitization of students against racism and intolerance, and promotion of equality and respect, in the context of the No Hate Speech Movement of the Council of Europe»;
- Support of teachers teaching Greek as a second language in secondary schools consisting of two day seminars at the beginning of the school year, a one day reflection seminar in February and continuous coaching by CPI trainers through the form of co-planning, team teaching, reflection on and exchange of materials, networking.
If no, please explain why not:
If to some extent, please specify:
Further comments
Provide examples of good practice:
Article 10. Role of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), youth organisations and other stakeholders
Q17 To what extent, in your country, is there co-operation and support between the government and the following organisations and groups that foster citizenship and human rights education?
a) Non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
To a fair extent
b) Youth organisations
To a large extent
c) Community groups
To a fair extent
d) Parents' groups
To a fair extent
e) Other (please specify: ______)
If not at all or to a little extent, please explain why:
If to a large extent, please explain the factors for success:
Provide examples of good practice:
Further comments
Article 11. Criteria for evaluation
Q18 In your country, have criteria been developed to evaluate the effectiveness of citizenship and human rights education programmes?
No
Further information:
Please provide examples of how these criteria have been developed, reviewed and used:
To what extent have they been useful?
Provide examples of good practice:
Article 12. Research
Q19 In your country, to what extent has research been initiated and promoted on citizenship and human rights education to take stock of the current situation?
To a moderate extent
If not at all or to a little extent, please explain why:
What needs to be done to obtain stronger support for such research?
Implementation of the Code of Conduct and Guide for managing antiracist behaviour in schools as described in Question 7. There are also action research projects on diversity but there is still need for such research to be expanded.
Further comments
Article 13. Skills for promoting social cohesion, valuing diversity and handling differences and conflict
Q20 In your country, to what extent are educational approaches and teaching methods promoted that enable pupils/students to acquire competences to…
a) … promote social cohesion?
To a large extent
b) … value diversity and equality (particularly between different faiths and ethnic groups)?
To a large extent
c) … settle disagreements and conflicts in a non-violent manner?
To a large extent
d) … combat all forms of discrimination and violence (especially bullying)?
To a large extent
If not at all or to a little extent, please explain why:
What needs to be done to encourage more active promotion of such educational approaches and teaching methods?
Further comments
SECTION 4: EVALUATION AND COOPERATION
Article 14. Evaluation and review
Q21 Has any action been taken or foreseen to evaluate strategies and policies undertaken in accordance with the aims and principles of the Charter?
Yes
If not, please explain why not:
If yes, please provide links to the relevant monitoring and evaluation reports:
What were the key conclusions?
Who takes part in the evaluation process?
Example of good practice:
As described in Question 7, the whole school strategy for the implementation of the Code of Conduct and Guide for managing antiracist behaviour in schools.
Further comments:
Article 15. Co-operation in follow-up activities
Q22 In your country, have any co-operation activities with other countries been organised or planned in pursuing the aims and principles of the Charter?
Yes
If not, please explain why not:
Example of good practice:
The participation of the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute as a full partner country in the two cycles of the “EU/CoE Pilot Projects Scheme on Human Rights and Democracy in Action: Teaching controversial issues – developing effective training for teachers and school leaders” (Described in question 7).
What is required to encourage such cooperation activities?
Further comments
Article 16. International and European co-operation
Q23 In your country, is there co-operation and collaboration on citizenship and human rights education with the following organisations / institutions?
a) Council of Europe (CoE)
Yes
b) United Nations system (UN) (including UNESCO and UN OHCHR)
Yes
c) Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
Yes
d) European Union (EU) (including European Commission)
Yes
e) Other international/ European organisations
Please specify 'Other international/ European organisations'
What are your expectations from such cooperation?
Exchange ideas and good practices.
Develop common policies
To what extent are these expectations met?
To a moderate degree.
How could such cooperation be made more useful?
More opportunities for interaction.
Further comments
Q24 In what ways is / can the Charter review process be of support to the countries? [Please rank from 1 (not useful)- 5 (very useful)]
a) An encouragement / motivation for stronger action and higher quality
4
b) An opportunity to promote good practice
4
c) A support tool for dialogue with other countries and within the country
4
d) Access to expertise from other countries and from international institutions
4
e) Other
Please specify other
Q25 What are your expectations from the Council of Europe? [Please indicate the current level of satisfaction from 1 (not useful) - 5 (very useful) for each expectation]
a) An encouragement / motivation for stronger action and higher quality
4
b) Opportunities for sharing and cooperation with other countries
5
c) Provision of a shared framework of reference / common standards
5
d) Impetus for dialogue and cooperation within the country
5
e) Authoritative encouragement to ensure respect of commitments
4
f) Technical advice / technical assistance
4
g) Access to the network of key actors in the member states through the Committee of Ministers, Parliamentary Assembly, the Congress of local and regional authorities and the INGO Conference and the HR Commissioner as well as various monitoring bodies (such as ECRI) as a means of raising visibility of EDC/HRE
4
h) Other
Please specify other
Q26 What are the key challenges to the promotion and development of citizenship and human rights education in your country? (Please indicate the level of impact of each challenge)
a) Lack of priority among decision makers (other areas given more priority)
Medium impact
b) Lack of awareness/interest/support among education professionals
Medium impact
c) Impact of the economic crisis/recession
Low impact
d) Reduction/cuts in funding
Low impact
e) Decentralised education system
Low impact
f) Changing political context (e.g. change of government)
Low impact
g) Reduction of support networks (NGOs, parent and youth groups etc.)
Medium impact
h) Lack of public interest and support
High impact
i) Lack of media interest and support
Low impact
j) Lack of support from European organisations (Council of Europe, EU etc.)
k)Other
Please specify other
Further comments (half a page maximum):
FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONNAIRE
There are plans to repeat this questionnaire in 5 years’ time to get a further sense of the progress of the States Party to the European Cultural Convention in pursuing the aims and principles for citizenship and human rights education promoted by the present Charter. It is also proposed to design the questionnaire focusing on particular areas.
Q27 What particular areas should the follow-up Questionnaire focus on for the next review cycle? (Please indicate the level of priority for each area)
a) Formal general (pre-primary, primary and secondary school) and vocational education
High
b) Higher education
High
c) Pre-school education
Medium
d) Democratic governance of educational institutions
High
e) Training (initial and on-going)
High
f) Role of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), youth organisations and other stakeholders
High
g) Criteria for evaluation
High
h) Research
High
i) Social cohesion, valuing diversity and handling differences and conflict
High
j) Evaluation and review
Medium
k) International and European co-operation
High
l) Other
Please specify other
Q28 How can this questionnaire be improved in order to ensure that the data collection is meaningful and useful in terms of encouraging further progress in citizenship and human rights education?
Q29 To what extent the process of preparation of the reply to this questionnaire was constructive and participatory? [Please rank from 1 (poor)- 5 (excellent)]
Further comments:
FOCUS GROUP 2016: PARLIAMENTARIANS
NB: The questions below are to be addressed to the Education Commission in the National Parliament or other similar bodies
Please indicate which body has been contacted
Q30 Would you agree that citizenship and human rights education is a means to address…
a) … violent extremism and radicalisation leading to terrorism?
To a great extent
b) … integration of migrants and refugees?
To a great extent
c) … consequences of the economic crisis / austerity measures / social exclusion?
To a great extent
d) … the deficit of democratic participation of both vulnerable and non-vulnerable groups in society with the overall aim of building cohesive and equitable societies?
To a great extent
Further comments:
Q31 What legislation has been adopted in the last 5 years or is in preparation, with a view to support and promote citizenship and human rights education?
Article 10 has been adopted for the respect and tolerance of all students and all races.
Q32 What are the thematic areas of education of particular concern to your Committee in this respect?
Refugees and knowledge of the Greek language.
Q33 Do you have any further comments to make not provided elsewhere? If so, please use the space below.
Q34 Further comments on citizenship and human rights education in the country:
Other contributors contacted by the respondent, including representatives of:
1. Ministries:
Ministry of Education and Culture
2. Research institutions:
Cyprus Pedagogical Institute, Nicosia
3. Education professionals:
Professionals from various Directorates of the Ministry of Education and Culture
4. Civil society organisations:
a. Teachers organisations:
b Youth organisations
c Children organisations
d Parents organisations
5. National human rights institutions
6. Parliaments
7. Local and regional authorities
8. International institutions
9. Medias
10. Others
