Increasing progress has been made, in Cyprus, in the attempt to legalize alternative routes of education. A rapidly expanding number of around ten thousand parents united to tackle this issue at the level of the Ministry of Education and the government. A Facebook group titled ‘Divergent Education Cyprus’, with seven hundred and thirty-two members, has been established for community support and advice.
A petition for the Ministry of Education, written in both Greek and English, has been signed by two thousand and three hundred people in favour of alternative education. Drafted with the assistance of around forty public school educators, and opinions gathered from experts around the world, including Cyprus. A meeting with the Ministry of Education has been requested and various members of parliament have been sought out to provide their support. It is useful to note that some years ago various people attempted to reform educational ideas, requesting alternative routes to education, but were turned down, therefore, this is not entirely a new need for the community. However, the Ministry of Education has recently (5 th November 2021), issued a statement supporting educational reform in Cyprus.
Several expert psychologists from countries including Cyprus, the UK and USA, have offered their support on a pro bono basis as they are aware of the restrictions the current educational system places on many children who simply cannot cope or can do much better and need an alternative approach. Their letters of support and expert opinions are posted on the website of Divergent Education Cyprus www.divergenteducationcyprus.com European and International Law are in support of alternative educational routes as seen in the following statements:
UN Declaration of Human Rights 1948 Article 26 (3): “Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.”
The European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights, Protocol Number 1, Article 2: “No persons shall be denied the right to education. In the exercise of any function which it assumes in relation to education and to teaching, the state shall respect the right of parents to ensure such education and teaching is in conformity with their own religious and philosophical convictions.” In Cyprus, it is written according to The Primary and Secondary Education (Compulsory Attendance and Provision of Free Education) Law of 1993 and 2004 (N.24(I)/1993 and N. 220(I)2004): “The Minister of Education has power to allow exceptions from the provisions of the previous subsection, provided he is satisfied that special reasons apply.” Section 3, Paragraph 2.
In conclusion, our vision is to have freedom in education, where various alternative educational options are legally available to parents, so that every child in Cyprus has access to an educational approach that is suitable to their pace of learning, needs, abilities, learning style, and interests. These approaches have been proven successful in countries around the world ensuring children are not left behind, not pressurized to struggle in an environment that is unsuitable to them and where children are able to thrive, blossom and succeed.
