Editorial

64
Minister of Education and Culture in Brussels
The Minister of Education and Culture,
Mr Pefkios Georgiades, accompanied by
the Acting Permanent Representative of
the Republic of Cyprus to the European
Union, Mr Panikos Kyriakou, represented
Cyprus at the Synod of the Council
of Education, Youth and Culture which
took place in Brussels on 14th and 15th
November, 2005.
In his remarks in connection with the Programme
for Education and Training 2010
and the priorities which should be set in
the Programme, the Minister of Education
and Culture, Mr Pefkios Georgiades, said
that in Cyprus an overall reform of education
was already in progress, focusing on
the qualitative upgrading of the educational
system at all levels and in all sectors. Within
the framework of this endeavour, the general
objectives and criteria laid down in the
Programme of Education and Training
2010 were being seriously taken into account.
The aim, he stressed, was to offer better
education to young people. He expressed
his agreement with the findings that the
"Education and Training 2010" Programme
is the key to achieving the objectives of the
renewed Lisbon Strategy, which aims at an
economy based on the society of knowledge,
with special emphasis on development
and employment. He also maintained
that priority should be given to the special
aims for providing quality education to the
young, to the "learning throughout life"
objective and to the aim of promoting the
quality of the active citizen, all of which
constitute the keys to the efforts to achieve
the society of citizens of the European
Union. He stressed that acceptance, tolerance
and difference in the multi-cultural
societies of today are indispensable for the
development and progress of the Europe
of today.
Finally, the Minister noted that it is especially
important that the efforts aimed at
the young should be strengthened so that
young people acquire the basic skills and
abilities and are better equipped for their
future academic, economic and social life.
Special significance should be attached to
groups that are in a more disadvantaged
position for economic and social reasons
in general. This objective can contribute
to the social cohesion which is being sought
by the Lisbon objectives as well and particularly
to the increase in the percentage
of participation in initial education and
training, with a parallel reduction in failure
at school and premature drop-out from
school.
Within the framework of the Council of
Culture, the proposal for the Cultural Capitals
of Europe has been approved. Cyprus
will be Cultural Capital in 2017.
At the Council of Ministers of Education,
Culture, Youth and Audio-visuals, a partial
cultural agreement has been reached
in the corresponding Action Programme
for the period 2007-2013 (Learning Throughout
Life, Culture 2007, Youth and Audiovisuals)
without, however, the approval of
the financial aspects which depend on the
more general framework of the European
Union budgets, which have not yet been
approved.