The clock has started counting down and the day of handing over the reins of the Ministries is approaching and all eyes have turned in that direction. Although attention is focused, due to the pre-election, on the Ministry of Finance, since objectively it is one of the hottest Ministries, another critical position is the one currently held by Prodromos Prodromou, who is leaving after one term, who has colored with several tensions, while there are many open fronts, which his successor is called to face, with a view to achieving stability in the field of education.
Prodromos Prodromou, who has been characterized as an explosive minister, since during his term he came face to face with Parliament, students, parents and teachers, not a few times, in his attempt to defend the policies of his Ministry, whether he was in office or was on previous terms, leaves a legacy for the next one, several hot issues, which should be managed in the best way.
The term of office of Mr. Prodromos began in a difficult period, given that in December 2019, the institution of the four-month examinations was implemented for the first time. An institution that had caused many reactions, from the day it was promoted before the Parliament, in 2017. An institution that to this day, three years later and at the end of Mr. Prodromos' term at the Ministry of Education, still causes tensions, with everyone the organized bodies involved in the field of education, to now openly oppose its implementation.
In addition, the successor of Prodromos Prodromos, good morning in his new position, will be faced with other hot topics, such as special education, sex education, changes in timetables and syllabi, as well as reduction of classes. All these are the issues promoted, a few days before Mr. Prodromou leaves his post, wanting to leave his mark, before handing over the baton to the next President-elect.
Thorn. the four months
The institution that was promoted as one of the biggest reforms during the first term of the Anastasiades Government and has passed through the hands of three ministers, is characterized as the hottest potato for the next minister, since as explosively it entered the everyday life of schools, explosively it seems that it will leave And this is because in the next period, changes regarding the institution may be promoted, as in the previous weeks, the president of the Education Committee had publicly stated that he wants to promote a proposal to abolish the four-month exams.
The successor of Prodromos Prodromos is asked to find a middle solution, so that its implementation can continue normally, but to correct the distortions that objectively exist, although the current leadership of the Ministry of Education refuses to recognize. In particular, it should listen to the opinions of students, teachers and parents, who are ready to take a fighting position and take to the streets again to send their own messages.
On the one hand, the students insist on their position for the abolition of the institution in its entirety. A position that is also embraced by AKEL, which at every opportunity characterizes it as a pedagogic crime and extravagance. On the other hand, the teachers request the abolition of the January exam, as it does not help the educational process and in the middle the parents, who consider that the institution does not correspond to what was put on the table, before the institution was put to vote and should be abolished, so that the distortions are corrected.
In the meantime, a sub-chapter of the specific chapter is also the bill for the reduction of examination courses in high schools, which the outgoing minister wants to withdraw from the drawers and start the debate, which ended ignominiously in the previous period, after the organized bodies had opposed , with their arguments talking about the downgrading of some courses. These reactions had the effect of withdrawing the specific regulations being promoted and putting the debate on hold.
Although the intention of the Prodromos Prodromos is to start the debate, with the aim of reducing the problems that seem to be registered in the field of education, this practically becomes impossible at the given moment, as the Parliament, in which the bill must be forwarded again , is closed and is expected to reopen after the election of the new Government.
Chapter special education
Another, large chapter, which remains open and caused several tensions during the period when Prodromos Prodromou was at the helm of the Ministry of Education, is that of special education. A front, which he constantly put against the political leader, accusing him of closed doors and lack of dialogue. In fact, recently the Ministry of Education also received fire from this front, as in the first examination period of the current school year, the Ministry had not provided for differentiated papers to be given.
Prodromos Prodromou and his team had taken some steps to alleviate the specific situation, as they had started discussions with all the agencies involved, with the aim of drawing up a bill, which would be promoted to the Education Committee, with the aim of having a framework for the unified education, which would also include the children of the specialist. However, these discussions were left in the middle, since after the first meeting, the effort did not prosper. This means that the next minister must start a broad dialogue, exchange views with the agencies, listen to them and come to a common position.
Sexual education and changes in detail
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A process that will be ongoing, when the next Minister of Education takes the reins, is the readjustment of the syllabi, which comes as a result of the law passed by the Parliament, before completing its work, in view of the Presidential elections, as well as the decision of the Cabinet , which is Sexual Education. Since teaching in schools will be compulsory from September, the Ministry is called upon to take all appropriate actions in order to establish the appropriate framework.
This means that the successor of Prodromos Prodromos and the successor of Michalis Hadjipantelas will have to work together in order to reach the way and the content that will be taught, while for the new Minister of Education the readjustment of the syllabi will also be in progress, as well as are the programs at the moment, there is no space to join a new course. Thus, the services of the Ministry of Education must make adjustments, in order to accommodate sex education, as Mr. Prodromou, before leaving, has pledged that the timetables will not change.
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