Τετάρτη, Μαΐου 14, 2014
On what kind of Education should Cyprus Invest Today!:
An Open Discussion in the framework of the European Citizen’s Initiative
“Invest in Education”.
PUBLISHED at the DIKTYO/NETWORK for REFORM in Greece and Europe, under TOPIC: Youth, Education and Employment.
We are delighted to announce the open discussion “On what kind of Education should Cyprus Invest Today!”, which will take place on Friday, May 16, 2014, 16.00-20.00 at the Conference Room of The European Union House, in Nicosia.
Nobel Prize Winner for Economics and Ambassador of the Initiative, Sir Christopher Pissarides, will be the Keynote Speaker of this event, followed by a Roundtable Open Discussion with a group of well known academics and other scientists, with the participation of the public.
We address this invitation to members of the academia and educational community, students / scientists / scholars / researchers / teachers and, if possible, to policy makers.
The event is organized by The Cyprus Volunteer Team of Supporters of the European Citizens’ Initiative Invest in Education, under the auspices of the DIKTYO-NETWORK for Reform in Greece and Europe, with the support of the Cyprus Academic Dialogue (CAD), the Association for Social Reform (OPEK) and the European Youth Movement (EYM).
*The signing procedure can be conducted electronically HERE, within a few minutes (Closing Date: August 6, 2014).
The overall aspiration of the Initiative is to proceed with an invitation to the European Commission to propose legislation against cuts on Education, using a mathematical tool, which “excludes from the calculation of each country's public spending deficit, that part of Government spending for education that is lower from the last five-year Eurozone average”. In simple words, barring budget on education from being taken in the measurement of the deficit of the Eurozone member-states’ budgets, will allow them, in a long and medium term perspective, to counter fight the vicious cycle of recession-unemployment-degradation of education-zero growth.
With the event “On what kind of Education should Cyprus Invest Today!”, the peak of the awareness campaign we are conducting, we express our concrete support for the Invest in Education Initiative, aiming to collect 4500 statements of support from citizens, in the form of electronic signatures.
Seeking to increase public expenditure in education sounds reasonable, if we refer to Greece, where the average in public spending on education lacks behind the Eurozone average. However, for Cyprus, where public funds for education over exceeds the EU-17 average, this goal wouldn’t be rational, if the same time youth unemployment in Cyprus was not hit records as high as 40%.
The question thus should be the quality of investment in education, i.e.:
How spending is allocated to the different levels of the educational system structure in Cyprus and how the outcomes of Education are benchmarked and assessed; Moreover, whether funding produces adequate results to counter fight youth unemployment and educational deficiencies, in a globalized market and an international educational competitive system; Furthermore, how structural changes could be implemented, such as removing any barriers in teaching, researching and learning facilities, e.g. having open libraries, in all public and private institutions, for more hours, including weekends and being accessible to all Citizens.
Distinguished politicians, economists, academics, authors and artists warn that unless a way is found to resolve the problem, this could result in generating a lost generation (if we haven't become as such already).
Nevertheless, we aspire to achieve, through this special event and through the Invest in Education Initiative, at large, a STEP on the right direction.
Vasilis KILIARIS,
Economist – Political Scientist
Coordinator of the Cyprus Volunteer Team of Supporters of the European Citizens’ Initiative Invest in Education.
Co-founder of the European Youth Movement (EYM).
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