Primary education

Primary Education is the initial stage of education
and has as its basic aim to create, establish and
offer opportunities to all children, regardless of age,
gender or country of origin, to achieve a balanced
cognitive, emotional and psychomotor development.
Pre-Primary Education is compulsory for all the
children that have reached the age of four years and
eight months before September 1st of the year
during which they will attend school. Attendance of
Primary Education is compulsory for all the children
that have reached the age of five years and eight
months.
The National Curriculum and the teaching
methodologies adopted in Cyprus Primary Education
emphasize the learning process and focus on
strategies which assist pupils in learning how to
learn and in developing their critical and creative
thinking.
A basic responsibility of Primary Education is to
help pupils become acquainted with their
civilization and tradition and to develop respect and
love for their national heritage, become aware of
their national identity, the Greek language, the Greek
Orthodox religion and their history.
At the same time, there is awareness of the
multicultural trends which are developing in the
modern world. Consequently, Primary Education
supports the development of intercultural
awareness, tolerance and respect of otherness.
Primary Education works towards the harmonious
coexistence of pupils regardless of differences in
ethnicity or cultural background. The Primary
Education Department is continuously working
towards the improvement of Cyprus Primary
Education. It aims at the continuous and systematic
training of teaching staff, the upgrading and writing
of new textbooks that will cater to the needs of the
National Curriculum and society in general.
Moreover, it aims towards the improvement of
teaching methods and approaches, the design and
implementation of modern developmental
programmes, the increase of special education
programmes and of programmes which support
pupils with learning difficulties, the extension and
building of new school units and the overall
development of the infrastructure required for quality
education.
The various areas for which the Primary Education
Department is responsible include: Primary
Education (private and state primary schools), Pre-
Primary Education (private, public and community
Pre-Primary schools), Special Education (special
schools, special units and support services offered
to children with special needs who are taught
inclusively in public primary and Pre-Primary
schools), the Cyprus Educational Mission (Cyprus
community schools in Great Britain), the Education
of the children of Greek of the Diaspora, Educational
and Summer Camps, and Adult Education Centres.
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